Captive
by ObsessiveCompulsive5699
Summary: When betrayel leads to his return to Konoha, Sasuke finally has a chance to be happy. But fate, and Sakura, seem to have different plans
1. Awakening

_Author's notes_

_Okay, this is my second [published attempt at a chapter story. I have written 2 more chapters, that I may or may not post. It depends on whether anyone wants me too. This is, like, one of my versions of how the series will end. I have many. Um, and there isn't much angst in this chappie, mostly kust attempts at humor, but ther will be in later ones, so...onto the reading...oh, and this will have eventual SasuNaru, though not much in this chap_

_Warning: angst, slight language, a referance to rape, shohen-ai_

_Disclamor: Do you see Sasuke kicking Karin's ass to the curb? No? Then I do not own_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

Sitting down at the fire, I took a look around at my teammates. They seemed…agitated, for some reason. No one was eating anything. I assumed they were waiting for me, since they kept glancing at me. It seemed odd, but then again, everything about them was odd. I figured it was something to do with what had just happened and that they were still nervous, and needed reassurance from me.

So I took a bite of the stew. It tasted strange. Immediately I spit it put, but it was too late. I could feel the effects of whatever it was already beginning to hit my system. My vision was getting darker. Whatever this was, it was good.

"Karin…what did you…" Then I was down.

When I awoke, I was chained to a wall, in some sort of cell. It smelled funny, though not as bad as it could have. I tried the chains. Solid, no chance of breaking. Next I tried to use a jutsu.

"Crap." Nothing. Nothing was happening. They must have cut off my chakra. This didn't look good.

Suddenly I noticed the presence of someone else in the cell, lurking in the shadows. Despite the situation, I wasn't afraid. If they wanted to kill me, they could have easily done it while I was out.

I decided to take a chance. "How long have I been out?"

For a moment silence, then "Three days."

Three days. Not too bad. It meant I was in the clear, at least until I made them angry. The voice sounded familiar, though I couldn't place it.

"Where am I?"

Silence again, then "Konoha."

That actually surprised me. I was back 'home'. That meant someone from my team made a deal with my enemies. This also meant that I was probably talking to someone I knew.

"Which of my comrades sold me out?"

"All three of them."

"Why?"

"They said you wanted to be home, but wouldn't come yourself, so they would do it for you."

This was certainly a blow to my pride. I couldn't even keep a good enough eye on my own subordinates to make sure they didn't hand me over. I relaxed against the wall, closing my eyes. The person in the shadows made no move towards me, nor to break the silence.

After maybe ten minutes, I got bored. Maybe if I kept talking, the person would let something slip. Suddenly they spoke.

"You don't want to know who I am?"

I smirked a bit "You wouldn't tell me, even if I asked, now would you?"

"Hmm. I guess you're right."

An idea suddenly popped into my head. "Can I play twenty questions then? Just to narrow down suspects?"

"Heh. Why not?"

"Male or female?"

"Tch. Male, of course."

"Did I know you from before?"

A pause. "Yes."

"Were you a Gennin with me?"

Another pause. "Yes, I was."

"Well, that narrows things down quite a bit. You're either Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, or Naruto. I can work with five"

"You're forgetting Lee and Neji."

I opened my eyes to look in their direction. "Hn. I guess you're right. Well, seven isn't too much worse."

There was another silence, this time it was only five or six minutes. During this time, I went over what I had learned, trying to figure out the mystery of who it was. However, it's been so long since I knew them, I can only remember the vague things about them. The voice remained silent, like always. I got bored, again. Being chained up really makes everything seem much less interesting.

"Don't you have any questions for me?" My voice cut through the silence yet again.

"Of course, but I doubt you'd answer them."

"Try me."

"Okay. Why'd you leave?"

"I needed more power to kill Itachi." I said shrugging.

"You're more talkative than you were before. Why is that?"

This surprised me. It took me a second to answer. "I guess…Well, what else is there for me to do?"

"Hmm. Makes sense…Were you happy at Orochimaru's?" The question was hesitant.

It almost made me smile. "Was I happy? Let's see…He raped me multiple times, Kabuto tortured me, and I was forbidden to even step outside. What do you think?"

This seemed to surprise him, if his answering silence was any consultation. I got a brief glimpse of his hand as it came to his face, but it wasn't enough to tell anything by.

"Come on. Is it that surprising?"

"N-No. We always suspected something like that. Still…it's hard to imagine the great Sasuke Uchiha being treated like that."

"Tch. I'm not great. Not anymore."

"Do you ever miss us?"

This surprised me more than any of the others. It seemed this was the question he'd been wanting to know all along, given the abruptness and almost hidden anxiousness. I thought for awhile, not really wanting to lie to him.

"Yes…I realize now that it wasn't worth it."

"You could have come back. We would have taken you back." He sounded slightly angry, and weary, like he'd said that many times before.

"Yeah, right. Like you are now? Being chained to a wall, waiting for my sentence, talking to a shadow person just isn't my idea of forgiveness. I'd rather be outside. Sorry."

An uneasy silence settled between us. For once, neither of us wanted to break it. It stretched on and on. Hours passed, with both of us lost in thought.

"You hungry?" After so much silence, his voice startled me, though I wouldn't let it show.

"I guess."

"Here." He pushed a bowl of something towards me with a stick. Then everything went black again.

"Wha-what's going on?" Despite myself, there was a faint edge of panic in my voice, which he seemed to pick up on.

"Relax," His voice was soothing. "I put a jutsu up so you can't see me. I'm going to feed you." He put a spoon to my lips, nudging them gently.

I opened my mouth very grudgingly. The next few minutes knocked my pride down a few more notches. Here I was, chained to a wall, being spoon fed by my enemy. At least he didn't seem to think it funny. He wasn't laughing or anything like that. Finally, he stepped away, back into the shadows. My vision was restored.

"Why are you still here?" I asked him, genuinely curious.

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

"No family, friends? Girlfriend, boyfriend?"

"No family. Definitely no girlfriend, no boyfriend. And my friends should be fine without me for awhile."

"What about teammates? Certainly they need you."

"Perhaps. You're more important though."

Another surprise from the voice. He thought I was more important than his teammates. I was beginning to like this person. Suddenly, my eyes felt heavy.

"Don't tell me you drugged me too?"

"It's just a simple sleeping pill. I'll be here when you wake up."

I tried to say something else, but the pill combined with my malnourishment made the effects hit me fast and hard. I struggled to keep my eyes open, but it was no use. I heard foot steps coming towards me, and I attempted to see the person, but everything was too foggy.

"Rest now, my precious Sasuke." The voice soothed. It was the last thing I heard before I fell unconscious.

* * *

_So...Please review? If you want me to post the next chapter, please tell me! _

_Um, I know Sasuke seems really weak, but his revenge is fufilled, so he has no more hate. That's my reasoning behind him._


	2. Chained and captivated

_Author's notes_

_SO this is the note-quiet-awaited for second chapter. Just so you know, I have no idea where I want this story to go, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. Sorry if this isn't quiet up to my standereds, but I wrote this over several days, and had to keep stoping and rewriting things...Also, it's almost midnight my time, so I might go over it another time, but I just want to upload this now. Anyways, onto the story(almost)._

_Warning: Slight spoilers? Shohen-ai, weird angst-almost humor?_

_Disclamor: If I owned NARUTO, do you think Sai and Suigetsu would be aloud to run free (If you don't know, to me, both just scream "Happy Rapist"...Poor Naruto and Sasuke...)_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

I was back in Orochimaru's, standing on the ledge of the crater. Frowning, I looked around. I had left here long ago. Looking down, my frown became more pronounced. Sakura, Naruto, and the other two were down there. I made no move towards them, I was still confused as to why I was here.

Finally, I jumped down, putting my arm around Naruto in spite of myself. I said nothing, though he talked about coming home. I tried to tell him to stop, he already told me, but my mouth wouldn't open. Suddenly, he pulled away, and he and Sakura pulled out identical swords, sharingan red. I tried to run, to avoid them, but my feet wouldn't move, so I had to stay still as together they plunged the blades deep into my lungs. I started to choke on my blood, and tried to plead with them, but they just stood there, watching me, and their eyes turned into Itachi's, their mouths grinning a snake's grin.

I awoke suddenly in a cold sweat, shivering despite myself. It took me a few minutes to calm myself. I tried to move my arms, but I couldn't. Then it hit me what the past few days had entailed for me. I listened, trying too see if the person was here or if they had left.

I heard steady breathing coming from the shadowy area to my right. He must have fallen asleep. I stayed still and listened to his breathing for some time, enjoying the odd familiarity it caused me.

Ever so softly, I called out "Are you there?"

He stirred, the material of his clothes making a scratchy sound against the stone as he sat up. Then, I could feel his eyes on me, staring. It was a bit unnerving, to tell you the truth.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Good…," I paused. There were no windows here, so I had to think for a second. "Whatever time of the day it is."

"It's morning, and the same to you Sasuke." His voice was still slightly thick with sleep.

"Are you leaving now?" I asked, not really wanting to now the answer.

"I'm here as long as you want me."

I let out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. "Oh. Good."

"How did you sleep?" I asked him.

"Pretty good. Better than I have in a long time."

"I'm glad."

"How about you?"

"Oh. I had a nightmare, but other than that good."

"I'm sorry! Do you want to talk about it?" Again, that familiarity hit me.

"Not particularly, no." I was getting annoyed. It was so infuriating, talking to someone you know, without knowing who they are.

"Okay…" He sounded hesitant though, like he wanted to say more. He didn't though.

I turned my head towards him, staring intently at where I believe him to be. Then I let my head fall back and hit the wall a bit harsher than I intended. There was a dull pang of pain, then it felt normal. The silence stretched on and on. Whatever was left of the old Sasuke refused to let me break it this time around, so I waited.

The entire day was spent in silence. The monotony was broken only when it was meal time. Other than that, we were just there, lost in our thoughts. I could tell he was looking at me, though it didn't bother me as much as the day wore on. My eyes started to feel heavy of their own accord, for the first time in days.

Grudgingly, I called out softly "Goodnight." My head dropped to the side, and a few minutes later, just as I could feel the waves of sleep hitting me, I heard him say "Goodnight."

The next few days were a blur. A horrendously slow blur. Which, I figured out one night, wasn't actually an oxymoron, though I can't explain why. Anyway, it was all blurry. He was there everyday, feeding me everyday, taking care of me everyday, all the while making mindless chit-chat. I was enjoying the routine more than I would let myself admit.

It was the fifth day of my imprisonment. There was a stillness in the room, calming. I had almost lulled myself into a sleep.

"What did you think of Sakura?" His voice startled me. I bumped my head against the wall, not hard, but enough to notice. Turning to where I hoped he was, I furrowed my brow somewhat.

"What?"

"What did you think of Sakura?" He repeated.

"I…In the beginning, I didn't like her at all. She became…okay as time went on." I replied. He was silent, seemingly processing the information. I was almost worried that somehow I might have offended him. I mean, what if he was Lee?

"How about Kakashi?"

I paused slightly. "He was like a father to me. I respected him a lot."

Again, I was met with a silence. He was starting to bother me with all the pauses. It was very reminiscent of Itachi, and to a lesser extent, me.

"Naruto?" His voice was soft, hesitant.

This was definitely a question worth pausing over. Naruto. Somehow, over the years, I had never thought about my feelings towards him. I had thought about him a lot, but never about our relationship. I sighed, and heard him shift in the shadows.

"He…I don't know. At first, he was just an idiot. Then, he…became someone worth risking my life for. I guess over time we became best friends. He always believed in me, even when I didn't. He was infuriating, and irritating, and idiotic. Also sweet, kind, and oddly inspiring…"My voice trailed off. I wasn't sure how much I wanted to reveal him.

"It sounds like…you almost sound like you love him…?" It was a question, not a statement. This time, I was certain there was hesitation, and a faint hint of nerviness.

"…" I remained unspoken. His question was not one I really wanted to answer.

Silence enveloped us yet again. I could sense he wanted to say more, but wisely, he didn't. I really, really didn't know how to answer his question, though I'm sure if I thought I could come up with many answers. The thought alone scared me some. In love with not only a former comrade, but a former best friend? Intimidating, to say the least. My thoughts consumed my mind, and no sounds were heard except for our breathing.

Sometime later, blackness enveloped me. I heard him walk over to me, and I welcomed the warmth.

As he began to feed me, he spoke. "Sasuke…what was it like, killing Itachi?"

"…It was…surreal. Anti-climactic. One second he was here, the next…gone. Gone, along with my purpose."

"Was it..." He paused, and seemed to be searching for the right word. "Satisfying?" He finished.

"Not really. I mean, in the end...all I did was end his life. It didn't revive my family, nor did it erase all my mistakes. I'm not sorry I did it, but…I am sorry I wasted my life on it." It was somewhat calming to be able to speak these thoughts aloud, to someone could trust. Kami, the person in life I trust most is a shadow-man who stays with me while I'm chained to a wall. And they say you become saner as you age.

"So, what you're saying is, you wish that you were still with your old team, here in Konoha?"

"Yes. All the time. I…miss them, you know?" My voice was quieter and more emotional than I intended, and I mentally cringed at how girlish I sounded when I said that. He was silent, big surprise, but seemed to move with more care than before.

After I was done, he went back to the shadows, though not as far back. I could almost make out his form, though I could see his vague outline. It wasn't Choji. I leaned forward, and wanted to say something else, but all that came out was "Sleep well."

"The same to you, Sasuke-kun." I prickled at the suffix, and I could almost feel his grin. I closed my eyes, and let my consciousness slowly drift away.

* * *

_So...please review! I love getting them, they make me happy! And again, if anyone has an idea for the next chapter, please tell me..._

_Oh, and sorry about not outright saying who the shadow-man is, but it should be kinda obvious...Xl_


	3. Waiting for rest

_Author's notes_

_Okay, this is the third chapter! Whoo! Sorry about how long it's taken, but the inspiration bunnies left me for awhile...Thankfully, they're back. Somewhat. Anyways, I want to dedicate this chapter to Ichihime, the-beginning-of-the-end', and miserygirl. Their encouragement has been so helpful with continueing this story! Soooo...on to the story stuff!_

_Warning: (slight) shohen-ai (though I've said that every chapter, so you should know), weirdness, OOCness (I tried not to though!) _

_Disclamor: Okay, seriously, if I owned NARUTO, this would soooo be happening right now...except for better written, of course..._

_Author: Obsessive  
_

* * *

"Will I ever be let out?" My voice interrupted the peaceful morning calm between us.

He was silent, thinking. Finally he said "I think so…Either that, or…" He didn't continue.

"Or I'll be executed?" I finished for him.

He cleared his throat. "Um, yeah…"

"Do you know when?"

"Probably soon… They've been discussing it for the past few weeks, so we should know something soon…."

"I wonder how they'll kill me?"

"I'd," swallow, "Prefer not to think like that… I mean, really, to spend so much time getting you back, only to have you die? Your teammates would be crushed."

I said nothing. The thought of my death was not as scary as it should have been. I was prepared to die from the minute I left the gates of Konoha. However, the idea that my last days were spent chained to a wall wasn't really comforting. I wanted to be free. He kept fidgeting, his clothing making an irritating sound against the wall.

"Is there something else?" My voice was colder than I intended, and I sighed mentally as he stopped for a second, the resumed.

"…No, nothing else Sasuke." I raised my eyebrow. He did not sound at all convincing, but I was silent. If he wanted to tell me, he would. My fingernails automatically scratched the handcuffs out of annoyance.

The next few hours were spent in an awkward silence. Suddenly, my world was black once more. I heard the sounds of a door being opened, and heavy footsteps coming towards where the Shadow-man.

"What is it, Genma?"

"I have an urgent message from the Hokage. She wants to see you in her office right away. They have a date for the trial!"

The sound of running footsteps was heard, and I knew that the Shadow-man had left. Genma walked to the side of the room hidden by shadows, and my vision was restored.

"So how are you, traitor?" His voice held badly disguised contempt.

"Other than the fact I'm chained to a wall, I'm fine."

"Well, we'll have to change that now, wont we?"

A kunai flew by and sliced my arm open deeply. I winced slightly in pain. I could feel his smile. It was soon followed by another. The blood joined the sweat and slight grime the lightly coated my skin. Neither of us spoke again until Shadow-man came back. The darkness surrounding me alerted me to his presence.

"Well?!" We spoke at the same time, and grimaced at the same time, when we realized what we had done.

"Four days from now, at twelve-thirty, the trial will be held." He paused, then said "Genma, what did you do to him?"

"Um, well, I…"

"Never mind." He cut him off. "I'll deal with you later. Leave."

His footsteps receded, and the sound of the door closing was soon heard. The shadow-man walked over to me. I could feel his warm breath on my neck as he shifted around, making me squirm. Suddenly, some kind of cold substance, presumably antibacterial stuff, was rubbed on the cuts Genma made. I hissed at the sting, and he chuckled lightly.

"So, the wonderful Sasuke can't handle a little antiseptic, huh?"

I said nothing, and the silence stretched as he finished up, than traveled back to the shadows. Slowly, I was able to see the prison. Neither of us said anything more for the rest of the day. When I finally got tired, I muttered a quick goodnight, as did he, and then we both fell into a fitful sleep.

The days leading up to the trial followed suit. Neither of us said much. We were both too lost in thought. Despite my earlier feelings, I was beginning to feel like maybe there was more that I wanted to do before I died. But, there was always a chance I could. At least, that's what I told myself.

The day came too fast. In darkness I awoke to the sound of a door opening, and one appendage at a time was unchained as someone- Shadow-man- dressed me in clean clothes. My hair was washed, and I was given a sponge bath of sorts, in the wishes that I look nice. The hours that came were an insomnia-induced blur, and I was barely aware of the gasps I heard as I was transported to the Hokage's building.

I was, however, aware of the many people talking, their mindless chatter overlapping, then quieting down as I was sat down. Slowly, the blackness ebbed away, revealing the room and my Shadow-man. The talking started up again, louder this time. My eyes widened and I barely managed to keep in a gasp as I looked into his eyes. I was unable to look away, even as someone banged a gravel and said "Order, order! The trial of Sasuke Uchiha will now begin!"

* * *

_This has been the shortest chapter yet! I probably should have written more, but I wanted to upload it, so that's why it's all puny and stuff...I have no idea how a trial like this should be, so it will kind resemble the trial from Harry Potter 5...yeah...I didn't want to make Genma like that, but I wanted someone to be, and he was the only one i could think of...I'm thinking of how I can stretch out the story to more than 5 chapters, since I have an immense dislikeing of five chaptered stories...Dunno why, though..._

_Reviews make me happy/write faster!_


	4. The trial

_Author's notes_

_YAY! We broke the 30,000 word count! YAY! Okay, I know that loads of people have single stories that have more words than that, but to us, who make primarily one-shots, it's so cool! Oh, and this is officially my longest story! Whoo! Yeah, I should be doing my homework now, but since I love my reviewers so much, I worked very hard to make this quickly! I don't like it as much as my other chapters, but I guess that's for you to decide...I finally out-right said who the "Shadow-man" was! Yeah..._

_Warnings: Slight spoilers? (I have no idea what's considered "spoilers" anymore), crappyness, shohen-ai (Yes! I finally put something sasunaru-ish up...it's not much, but...) If these don't apeal to you, then I have no idea how you made it to the third chapter, and you should leave_

_Disclamor: Hmm...Well...let's think...Do you see Sasuke on his knees, begging for forgiveness, in a new, totally NOT stripper-ish outfit? Yeah, there's your answer_

_Dedicated to: Kai's kitty, __the-beginning-of-the-end'__Ichihime__Angel Girl Julia__, and __miserygirl__! All of whom have reviewed consistantly, and have said such nice things that make me happy! It's thanks to them I updated so soon, however sucky it may be..._

_Author: Obsessive  
_

* * *

My Shadow-man was _Naruto_. _**Naruto.**_ As in the Naruto who had fought with me, who had fought for me, who had cared about me, and who had apparently heard most of my thoughts for the past few weeks. I could feel myself paling already, and suddenly the beautiful blue eyes I was staring into closed, and I was all-at-once aware of everything. The constant muttering all around me, the scornful and curious stares, the heavy chains on my arms, everything.

"Sasuke." Someone's voice- the Hokage's, if I remember correctly- brought my attention to the table-like thing which sat high above me. The faces of clan heads, some I recognized, some I didn't, looked down at me, somewhat uncomfortable just by being in my presence. I forced myself to look straight into their eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you are here on Friday, November 21, at 12:30 in the afternoon, to be punished for the crimes you have committed." She paused, and the sound of a pen scratching against paper was heard, the noise of someone recording it. Her golden eyes kept flickering between me and the man at my side, Naruto.

She started speaking again. "The crimes you have committed stand as this: running away to an enemy nin, attempted murder of another comrade, aiding an enemy with the plan of destroying Konoha, murder of countless others, and attempted murder of former comrades. How do you plead?"

I just stared at her for a few seconds, silent, before I finally replied. "Mostly guilty."

She raised her eyebrow as most of the others around her muttered to their neighbors. "_Mostly_ guilty? Will you please explain?"

I sighed. "I never actively helped Orochimaru, and I never murdered anybody but him and Itachi."

She opened her mouth to say something about that, but paused to listen to the words of two village elders, before turning back to me. "I'm not convinced that I believe you, but we will strike those two off the record, for now." She put emphasis on the 'for now' part, making it clear that she would very much like to include them.

"However, this means you plead guilty to betrayal, and more than one count of attempted murder of former comrade, correct?"

I stole a glance at Naruto. He looked sad. I replied. "Yes."

"You know how serious these crimes are, right?" She looked almost worried. Almost. Oddly enough, the other members of the council weren't saying much to her, or to me. They talked quietly amongst themselves, but that was it.

"Yes, I do."

The room promptly broke into conversations at my lack of, well, emotion. I have to admit, I sound almost dead, even to my own ears. I looked over at Naruto again. If he looked unhappy then, he looked miserable now. When his baby blues met my own ebony, they were full of sorrow. I tried to tell him how sorry I was, but before I could really get the message across, the gravel banged down again. The people in the stands quieted down.

"Well, now that that's settled, we need to hear the reasons. To be fair, of course." A good-looking woman with short brown hair and red triangles on her face spoke this time. She had the essence of a dog, and I concluded that she must be Kiba's mother.

I took a deep breath, and the council-members seemed to move closer to me. I realized with an almost smirk that the only reason they said that was because they wanted to know for themselves. I contemplated lying, but then decided against it, since Naruto was here.

"I left because Orochimaru offered me power which I wasn't getting in Konoha. My values were skewed when I fought with Naruto the first time, but I could not kill him, as you can tell. When I met them again, I had simply…lost my will to care anymore, but did not kill them, out of fondness." It wasn't the best "excuse", but it was the truth. I could see slight disappointment on their faces, and watched as almost in unison their gazes flickered to Naruto, before coming back to me. It seemed they were hoping for a big confession of love, or something like that.

A man stood. He was handsome, but slightly prematurely aged by the worry-lines that creased his face. His eyes were an eerie silver, and I instantly knew him to be the Hyuuga Clan leader.

"That's all? You have caused more misery and injuries than you can imagine in the four years you've been gone, and it was all for something as meaningless as that?" His voice had a commanding tone, and the unmistakable hint of rage was lying just beneath the surface.

I did not answer, I just stared at him. He seethed, and his eyes burned. The Hokage put her hand on his arm, and he slowly sat, but still glared at me. She turned to me, and her eyes seemed to see through me better than even the Byakugan. I fidgeted.

Finally, she spoke. "Elders, please come with me to discuss his punishment." They got up in unison, and walked out a side door behind their table. When the door had been shut firmly, the villagers and ninja who were "lucky enough" to attend immediately started talking.

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. After a few minutes, I could feel the hesitant foots steps of two people coming towards me. They stopped a few feet away, and I wearily cocked an eye open to see who it was.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-kun." Sakura sounded so…tired. Sad. And much older than I remembered her. She tried to smile, but it ended up so pathetic that it almost hurt to see.

"Sasuke." Kakashi's voice was the same as I remembered it, but it held a certain coolness that it had not before. It was to be expected though, seeing as I abandoned him, and caused him to lose both his other students as well. The pathetic attempt made to mask his pain did hurt me, and I could feel my forced blankness falling away, and could tell I mirrored their sadness.

Neither of them tried to speak again, or would look me in the eyes. Unease swept through me, and the wrongness of the situation made me want to cry. I could feel my eyes closing again. Someone else walked up. I recognized it as Naruto. The others muttered quick goodbyes, and walked away, back to where they were before.

He stood closer than the others had, but not close enough for me to feel comfort. I opened my eyes fully to look at him. He shifted around, but did not break the eye contact. Neither of us said anything for awhile. Finally, he spoke.

"Sasuke…" He began.

I cut him off before he could go any further. "Naruto…I just…I'm sorry. So, so sorry." I tried to convince him with my eyes, tried to make him see that I cared. I bit my lip nervously.

Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed me. It was not a long kiss, just a quick peck, but it felt so right. I wanted more, but the door for the councilmember's was suddenly opened. He quickly jumped back to his place, and I turned my face to look at them, the fear in my stomach coming back with a vengeance. I swallowed, and glanced at the stands. Sakura, Kakashi, and Naruto looked at me and tried to smile, but none of them could quite make it. Somehow, that made me feel braver. I took a deep breath and faced the elders, ready for whatever they would say.

* * *

_So...Um...Yeah, I'm sorry if this let you down, but it's the best I could do..._

_So, I need some help: I have two totally different ideas on where this should go._

_IDEA ONE: They exicute Sasuke, the story is over in two to three chapters_

_IDEAD TWO: Sasuke is placed under house arrest, and the story continues until you guys get sick of it and want it to end..._

_Tell me which you prefer, because I kinda can't move on with the story until I decide, but I can't do it without your help!_

_REVIEW PLEASE!!! I need reviews like I need air..._


	5. Life or death

_Author's notes_

_Okay, there are a few things I need to say: First, I am so sorry about the wait!!! I really didn't mean to take so long, but my insparation left me for awhile! Again, so sorry! Second: This chapter sucks! I tried, I seriously did, but it still sucks...Well, I don't know, it's just happy...not my usual thing, but what ever...Third: The chapters aren't very long, but I personally don't like reeeaaallly long chapters, you know? Anyways..._

_Warning: mild shohen-ai? OOCness, crappy writing, a swear word?_

_Disclamor: Is Itachi wearing a french maid outfit bowing to Leader? Yeah, theres your answer...:::okay that was a semi-tribute to this author who wrote a funny/hot story about them that was awesome...I'M MAKING A COMIC WITH ITACHI IN A MAIDS OUTFIT!!! yeah, its funny:::_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

As they sat down, all of the elders were looking at me. The Hokage was the last to sit. None of them spoke, they just stared at me. I fidgeted, wishing they would speak. The audience must have felt the same, because the talking, which had ceased when they entered, had started back up again.

Finally, she spoke. "Sasuke Uchiha. You have been convicted of betrayal and attempted murder. Are you ready for your sentence?"

I swallowed nervously. "Yes."

"Normally, you would be sentenced to death. However, under your…circumstances…we have decided to place you under house arrest for an undisclosed amount time."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I'm not going to die. I even get to stay in Konoha. Sneaking a glance at my former-teammates, I almost smiled. They all looked visibly relieved. Naruto looked up, and when his eyes met mine, I did smile. It was small, but it was enough to make him smile back.

"Ahem." My eyes stayed glued to Naruto for another moment, then I turned to look at the table again. The Hokage was looking at me, very serious. "There is the matter of choosing the shinobi to watch you…" She trailed off. All of the sudden a look of serious amusement passed her eyes, and a devious smirk plastered itself on her face. My stomach churned uncomfortably.

She shared a Meaningful Glance with the others on the council, then turned to Naruto. "Brat! As of today, your new mission will be to supervise Uchiha!" She paused to let the crowd react, and react they did. Instantly, there was a wave of noise. Shock was the general tone of it all. I was vaguely aware of my own gaping mouth, but only vaguely. From somewhere to my left I could make out Naruto's sputtering.

"Me? Watch Sasuke?"

"Yes, Brat, you watching Sasuke." I could hear the triumph in her voice.

"But-but…but!" I struggled to think of an acceptable reason to want someone else, but I was failing miserably.

"Do you have any objections?" She looked between the two of us, daring us to speak up. We silenced ourselves quickly. She banged a gravel on her desk and called out "The trial of Sasuke Uchiha is now over."

She walked down the steps to the ground, and sauntered over to me with a key dangling from her fingers. She motioned Naruto over to us with one hand while the other was unlocking me. "Come with me, boys. There are a few guidelines we need to discuss."

We walked in silence to the end of the hall. I kept glancing over at Naruto. Twice I caught him looking at me, and he turned away blushing. Once inside her office, she sat behind her desk, with Naruto sitting in one of the chairs in front of her. I hovered in the doorway, feeling really uncomfortable. The Hokage motioned for me to sit in the other chair, and I walked hesitantly to them.

Once both of us were sitting, she began. "So, now that you two are roommates, there are some guidelines that must be followed." She paused, looking between us.

"Number one: Sasuke, no leaving the houses grounds. Number two: Naruto, you have to be in the room with Sasuke at all times, unless one of you is in the bathroom, or there is another ninja with him, like if there are errands or a mission. Number three: no killing each other. Lastly: no breaking the rules."

"So, Sasuke's not allowed to go anywhere?" Naruto spoke up.

"Not for awhile…not until he can be trusted again." She looked at me with hard eyes. I held her gaze, trying not to turn away. Eventually, she blinked, and looked to Naruto.

"During this time, you will have other missions, and when you do, you and I will choose a temporary replacement to watch him. That way you will continue being an active shinobi, as well as a watch. Is that fine with you?" Naruto nodded, then glanced at me. I was still staring at the Hokage in shock.

"Wait, so that means we have to sleep in the same room?"

She smirked. "Yes." That bitch. I sent my best Uchiha Glare at her, but she seemed unfazed. In fact, her eyes were smiling quite brightly, though her face was serious. Naruto looked between us, obviously curious about what we were doing.

"Hey…um…Where are we gonna stay?" Naruto's voice was a tad off.

She looked at him blankly. "We picked a house near the edge of town. It has a nice yard, good for training. We're moving your stuff to it already, and we're moving your stuff too Uchiha." My eyebrows raised. "Your teammates saved some of your things from your old apartment, in a few houses here and there." I felt a little wave of guilt wash over me.

"Are we done here? Cause I want to go home!" I accidentally let a smile slip at his enthusiasm, and the Hokage smirked. I glared once again, but it was somewhat weakened by the joyful blonde tugging on my hand, so instead I just sighed. It was going to be a long few months...

* * *

_So...Well, I warned you. It sucks...but I just wasn't in the mood to write angst...I probably will in the next chapters, or not...It depends...Oh, and I didn't kill Sasuke! No one really wanted me too, and I have already written something about an execution, so..._

_Does anyone want me to continue? If you do, please review and tell me, because I just need a little 'readers reassurance' from you guys..._

_**I almost forgot: I am in MAJOR need of a new summery...any ideas?**_


	6. Working for tomorrow

_Author's notes_

_So...um...heh heh...heh...Sorry about how late its been...I'll tell you why down there...so...This chapter is absolute crap. I mean it. It sucks, but its all I can do right now. I'll try to rewrite it, but..._

_**EDIT: I re-uploaded this because I realized I was so spaced out I wrote the entire thing in the wrong POV...so now it's fixed**_

_Excu-Reason why I took so long: I got a severe writers block like the day after I posted chapter five...I wrote this in class, thats why its so horrible, and of course my writers block isn't fully gone, so yeah..._

_Warning: Crap writing, almost humor? I didn't try to, but..._

_Disclamor: Okay, seriously, has anyone seen Orochimaru's henchmen? I would sooo not allow that many drag queens with weapons to run loose..._

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

Standing before the house, I raised an eyebrow. "_This_ is where going to live?"

"It's…well…it's homey?" Even Naruto seemed to doubt his words.

Tsunade looked at the us and smirked. "Just think of it this way: it'll keep you boys busy for awhile."

To its credit, the house itself wasn't too bad. It was small compared to the Uchiha mansion, but large compared to Naruto's apartment. However, it hadn't been inhabited in many years and the abandonment showed. Faded yellow paint, dirty brown and grey windows, and one wall was completely covered in ivy. The lawn, which, to Tsunade's credit, _was_ sprawling, unfortunately was completely dead.

"Well, I'll leave you to it!" She smiled and gave Naruto a kiss on the forehead. Then she placed a hand on my shoulder, gripping hard enough to bruise, clearly reminding me of her rules.

She walked across the lawn and out of a gap in the fence, and with a single look back at us, she began walking back towards town. As the two of us looked at our new house, an awkward silence descended.

Finally, Naruto said "Well…Do you wanna see the rest of the house?"

I made a noise that sounded like "Hnn", and took a step towards the door. We walked slowly into the house, weary of what lay beyond the door. As luck would have it, the inside was even worse than the outside. Dirty, worn-out furniture lay strewn carelessly in every room. The windows looked even dirtier than they had, and the walls were so faded, there was no way you could tell anything about their former color. A lot of the steps they took creaked, there was a faint 'drip-drip' echoing, and the most disgusting odor either of them had ever smelled wafted around the house.

As we stood in the what they assumed was the living room, Naruto stole a peek at the me and almost burst out laughing. My brow was furrowed, my arms were crossed, and I could tell was nose was crinkled, but honestly, it wasn't my fault. I glanced over at him again when he let a single giggle slip, and I was so close to hurting him. I actually took a step towards him, but then I caught sight of the bedroom door down the hallway, and stopped. His brow was furrowed, his arms were crossed, and his noise was crinkled delicately.

"What's wrong?"

I gave him a look that knocked his ego down even as I watched, then replied "The bedroom."

"Oh…right. I forgot."

"That room is too small. Our beds will have to be right by each other…" I trailed off. We stood in another awkward silence, then both turned to the other.

"We should-" I began.

"I think-" Naruto spoke at the same time. He stopped and looked at me, and I motioned for him to continue. He paused, then cleared his throat and began again.

"I think we should go around and make a list of the materials we need."

"Good. That's what I was going to say."

The blonde haired boy rooted around for a little while looking for a pencil and some paper, which he finally found in the freezer. The two of us began walking around, making notes. Three hours, two pieces of paper (front and back), and four bowls of ramen later we collapsed in our room, finally done.

Looking out the bedrooms' window, Naruto seemed lost in thought. I was lying on my bed, eyes closed, my chest rising and falling evenly, though I was too tense to fall asleep. After awhile, Naruto turned to look at me.

"Do you think this'll work?"

I opened one eye, regarded the blonde, then closed it. "I don't know." I answered honestly. Then I turned away from the man by the window, and fell asleep.

* * *

_Dear god, I'm ashamed of myself. this is totally horrible...But its something, right? This has really not been my week...Anyways, these last two chapters have been happish, but -hopefully- I can get my angst muse back..._

**_EDIT: SO yeah, this sucks, but as a lovely reviewer said "_not EVERY chapter should be suspenseful, it spoils the entire story, sometimes you needed a little 'boring' in the story." -Thank you SnowWhiteSorrow, your review made me feel better about this chapter!-**

_Anyways, you really don't have to review, if you do feel free to tell me how much it sucks..._


	7. Hidden in happiness

_Author's notes_

_I uploaded quickly! This is the quickest I've ever uploaded...Thanks to the music of 'Within Temptation', I was able to overcome my writers block. Yay! I was a bit bummed because I only got two reviews for chap. 6, and none of my favorite reviewers -who's reviews always make me smile- reviewed...I'm not sure why, but hopefully this chapter will be worth reviewing! I tried to make in more angsty and romantic, so..._

_Warning: Angsty-ish, romance -FINALLY-_

_Disclamor: I would so not have killed off -insert the name of any character except Orochimaru killed in shippuuden- if I owned naruto_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

It had been two weeks since we moved in, and so far things were going okay. During the day, we worked on the house, and at night we read or drew, and sometimes we talked, but only sometimes. For the most part we tiptoed around each other. The good news was that the house was habitable now. We started on the kitchen, and had worked our way through the house, so that all that stood in our way was the living room. We were both avoiding doing it, because of the amount of work that would need to be put in.

Currently, I was in the shower relaxing. Even though I had been "free" for awhile, I was still in awe of how nice hot showers felt. It was a luxury I haven't had for years. My moment of peace was interrupted by a series of thumps.

"SASUKE!!! You've been in there for almost an hour! There wont be any water for me!!!"

I sighed, but my only audible reply was the sound of the water stopping. He seemed satisfied, because as I stepped out I could hear his footsteps receded slightly. I toweled myself off as I messed with my hair. No matter what I tried, it would never stay down. Giving up, I made sure the towel was secure around my waist before stepping out.

Naruto was leaning against the wall, and it looked like he was about to say something, but then he stopped and pushed himself away from the wall, walking past me without a word. He had been acting like that since the beginning. When I was in the bath room, or he was, he would yell and act normal, but as soon as we were in the same room, he would stop.

That wasn't to say that I was acting like myself, but still, it hurt a bit. I missed talking like we had when I was chained up. In fact, I almost wished I was still in the ANBU headquarters. It was nice having a friend, even though I didn't know who it was at the time.

I shivered slightly on the wall, and silently cursed Tsunade for the hundredth time for her stupid rules. Because, as Naruto reminded me constantly, according to them I had to wait for him to get out of the shower before getting dressed. Our house had no heat, and as it got colder I began to dislike the Hokage even more.

Sooner than I had thought, I heard the water shut off, and the telltale sounds of a body getting out of the tub. Not even a minute later Naruto stepped out, and my breath caught in my throat. His hair was wet, as was the rest of him, and the towel hung low on his hips. I must have been staring, because he gave me a look before gesturing for me to go on.

We walked in silence to our bedroom, and stood facing opposite directions while we changed. He was facing the sun, I was turned away. After we finished, he lay down and closed his eyes. I walked over and sat cross legged on my bed and watched him.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. I was vaguely aware of the sun setting, and sometime soon after that his breathing evened out and he fell asleep. I continued to sit there, staring at him, for a long time, that much I know.

Eventually something in me pulled my body down, so I was laying down. Then I moved closer to him, until we were only an inch or so apart. Staring at his peaceful face, I was driven to do something. So I raised my hand, and began stroking his cheek. He stirred, and I stopped shortly, before starting again with small, even strokes. He began leaning into my hand, and I smiled.

This continued for some time, before I decided I wanted more. Still moving my hand, I leaned in so our lips were almost touching. I hesitated for a second, then I closed the distance. His lips were soft against my own, and I closed my eyes to savor the feeling. Slowly, I began moving my lips, and somehow his started to move too. It was a sweet, innocent kiss, and I loved every moment of it. However, I felt a little guilty taking advantage of him, and pulled away.

I licked my lips, and looked at his face to see Naruto smiling slightly. I gazed at his tan face for a little longer, then I moved back and closed my eyes once again. Pulling the covers over my body, I thought about the man next to me.

What would he have thought about me kissing him? He kissed me before, so maybe he wouldn't mind, maybe he would even enjoy it. But maybe that was just on a whim, and he would be disgusted at me. My stomach started to churn at all the possible ways he could react, and I turned away from him and tried to think of other things. Thankfully, I could feel my mind slipping into unconsciousness, and the last coherent thought I has was "How does he feel about me?".

* * *

_So...review please? It only takes a minute or so, and it would really make my day!_

_Okay, the real reason I wrote this so fast was because of the new manga chapters, which are TOTALLY screwing with "Captive"...I mean, seriously, I might have to change this to an AU if things keep going where they're headed...HA! I wrote that whole thing without giving anything away!_

_On a side note -I know you're all anxious to get away from this story, and if you've made it this far, I aplaud you- If anyone has read the newest manga chapters and wants to talk about them, PLEASE pm me, because I really want to talkt to somebody, but Compulsive hasn't gotten that far yet, so..._


	8. Bombshells

_Author's notes_

_Chapter eight is finally finished! Whoo! Also, this is the shortest chapter yet, but there's a reason! I think this is the best place to end it, though I promise the next chapter, which hopefully I can start soon, will be longer. So...yeah..._

_Warning: Um...crappiness? Almost humor? Slight swearing..._

_Disclamor: If I owned NARUTO, believe me, I'm pretty sure you'd know. I mean, it's not like you see Sasuke running around in fishnets and a miniskirt, do you?_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

As I gazed around the almost empty house, I rolled my head back. Naruto was on a mission, so I was left with Shikamaru. It had been a week, and things had gone okay. I mean, aside from the deep suspicion and grudge he held against me, we were a match made in heaven. Thankfully, in the last day or two, he seems to have warmed up to me, or found it was too 'troublesome' to stay mad.

Currently, we were sitting in the living room, lounging around, bored out of our minds. There's only so much things to do when you can't leave the grounds. Me and Naruto usually sparred at times like these, but when I suggested it to Shikamaru, he didn't even take the time to look at me, just uttered his favorite phrase.

"Can we move to the kitchen?" I asked him quietly. I'm not sure how much he reports to the village, or whether he reports at all, but I can't take any chances, so I'm always on my best behavior.

"Yeah, sure." He slowly made his way towards the entry-way separating the two rooms. I followed closely. He immediately leaned against the counter, while I started washing dishes.

I paused suddenly. I am Sasuke Uchiha, the sole survivor and avenger of the great Uchiha Clan, and I have become the unofficial dishwasher and launderer of our house. Yeah, you heard me right. Not to mention the unofficial cook, since all Naruto seems to want to eat is ramen, but thankfully he helps out with the other chores.

I resumed washing, almost wishing we weren't finished with our house, because then, at least I would have something to do. Though, I have to admit, the house looks great. The rooms are clean, we have new furniture courtesy of Sakura, and the lawn was a greenish yellow, instead of brown. Its amazing how Naruto's happiness brought life back to both the home and the grounds. Its infectious, really. Of course, he's gone a lot, like he is now, for missions. At these times I'm left with Shikamaru, Shino, and on one terrifying and scarring occasion, Neji and Lee.

The very memory of it made me shudder, and Shikamaru gave me a questioning look. I opened my mouth, then decided against telling him, and opted for a shrug. He gave me a long stare before getting back to his thoughts.

Eventually, there was nothing left to clean, so we went back into the living room. Both of us kept glancing at the door. Naruto was due home today, and we were eager for his arrival. Sometime around two-thirty a.m., I passed out on the chair, still waiting for him.

I was awoken by the sound of fists banging quite loudly on the door. Surprisingly, Shikamaru got up faster then I did, and opened the door, only to be hit in the head a second later.

"I'm so sorry, but you must come with me now! It's Team Kakashi! They were ambushed, and now all of them are in the hospital!" The random nin yelled.

Shikamaru's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. "WHAT!" He shouted.

"That's not all!" The nin continued. "Uzumaki is the worst, and he keeps calling for…" He trailed off, then looked at me. Shikamaru turned to glance at me too, before turning back.

"Let's go!" I moved towards them, but found I couldn't move.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but until the Hokage tells me otherwise, you can't leave. I'll send someone back for you." He began moving towards the door, but kept facing me. He did a few hand-signs, then released his jutsu. As soon as he did I fell to the floor. I tried to get up, but I couldn't even move.

"Dammit! Shikamaru! Stop!" I yelled, desperately trying to move.

He just gave me a pleading look. "I'm sorry." He repeated.

I tried to say something else, but was cut off by the door slamming shut. An eerie silence settled over the house. I tried to move again, but nothing happened. I let out a roar of frustration as I cursed Shikamaru, Team Kakashi, the bandits, and above all the Hokage for leaving me alone like this.

* * *

_I know, I know, this is a stupid idea, but I'm trying to prolong this, and then in the middle of Social Studies, it came to me...If you review, will you please answer this question?_

_"Do you want Sasuke to be able to visit him, or not?"_

_The sooner I have the answer, the sooner I can write chapter nine!_

_-Oh, and happy Valentines Day!-_


	9. Waiting for another chance

_Author's notes_

_I'm so proud of myself! This was a quick update, and it's also the longest chapter yet! Whoo! So, I put quite a bit of effort into this chapter, and while I can't say I love it, I'm semi-happy with it, which is a start..._

_Warnings: Nothing really...This chapter was pretty tame..._

_Disclamor: Oh yes, because in between the anime and the manga, I, Masashi Kishimoto, have the time to write weird shohen-ai fanfictions and post them here... _

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

"Well, well, Sasuke…This certainly is an interesting position…"

I glared a death glare at the woman walking in the front door. Although her stance didn't change, I saw her eyes fill with fear. Her long, blonde hair swished as she walked over to me.

"Relax, Sasuke. I'm not the bad guy here. In fact, I'm the good guy. I helped convince Lady Tsunade to let you go to the hospital." Leaning down, she did a few hand signs, then placed her hand on my shoulder. Instantly, my muscles relaxed, and I was able to move. I jumped up, and she stumbled back, startled by my quickness.

"Let's go." I said curtly. She nodded, and we began running towards the hospital.

As we were running, I glanced over at her. "You…you helped convince her to let me out?"

She looked over at me and smiled a small smile. "Of course, Sasuke. Even though I don't love you anymore, I'm still drawn to you…" She trailed off, and her smile faltered. "Plus…He's…Naruto wants you…" She turned back forward, and it was clear she was done talking. That's fine with me, though. I just wanted to see him.

We reached the village quickly, and the two nin at the gates just waved a hand at us. The journey through Konoha was oddly quiet, the only noise being our footsteps. Inside the hospital, Ino rushed up to the front desk, while I just paced and threw looks at her.

Finally, she walked over to me. "Sakura and Kakashi are in room 102."

"Where's Naruto?" At the moment, I could honestly care less about them. All I wanted to know was where the Dobe was.

"He's…he's still in surgery, Sasuke."

I growled, and sent another glare her way when she moved towards me. This time she did cower a bit. I almost smirked, but my fear took a hold of me before I could. She sat in one of the waiting room chairs, and after a moments hesitation, she gestured for me to sit next to her. I stopped, then walked over to her.

My body groaned in pain and relief as I sat down. Running like that, with so little sleep, had been rough, and my muscles were already under strain from stress. I leaned against the wall. Barely a minute after I did, a dark haired woman came over of the door to the right of the desk.

She looked around the room, before stopping at us. "Ino? Lady Tsunade requested you and Sasuke follow me."

Ino stood. "Okay Shizune." She gestured for me to come. I stood, and the three of us walked through the door, and down a long hallway. I could hear crying from a few of the rooms, and the smell of disinfectant swarmed all around me. We made our way down another hallways, and three sets of stairs, and yet another hallway. I was beginning to wonder just how big the hospital was when we turned to a dead end. A long bench lined either side of the wide space, and a door was at the center of the connecting wall. Shizune motioned for us to sit, then disappeared into the door.

I sat down, then, to my surprise, Ino sat down next to me. Not close, but close enough to reach me. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. I stared at the door.

After a long silence, I spoke, my voice echoing loudly down the corridor. "Are there any others coming?"

She nodded. "Yes, Kiba, Hinata, Sai, Choji, Neji, and Shino should be coming soon…I'm actually surprised they aren't here already…Shikamaru is already here, of course…Him, his father, Lady Tsunade, Shizune, and several others are working in there right now…" She sent a fleeting look at me, before looking at the wall across from us. We both sat quietly for a bit, before footsteps broke the peace. Soon, six bodies entered the space, and I felt rather then saw three glares directed at me. Opening my eyes, I looked at each of them in turn, not glaring, but almost pleading. Their looks each softened slightly.

The group sat down, the men on the other bench, and surprisingly, after a look at Ino, Hinata sat down on my other side. Kiba and Neji looked at her funny, and I almost felt the intensity of her blush, but she made no move to leave.

We sat there for what felt like hours. Somewhere along the way, I must have fallen asleep, because suddenly a gentle hand was shaking my shoulder. "Wake up, Sasuke." My head jerked to the side, and my eyes blinked to reveal Ino's worried face above mine.

"Wha-."

"He's slightly better." I instantly turned my head towards her voice. She coughed, before continuing. "I've taken a break, to get some food for everyone, since for the moment he's stabilized."

"Do you know what happened, on the mission?" Choji's voice was strangely clear, the lack of chips noticeable.

She looked at him. "Yes…Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto were on their way back from the Wave Country, and paused for sleep, when they were ambushed by a group of renegade ninjas. We found them about an hour before you were contacted, Sasuke." She looked at me. Everyone turned to look at me, and I worked hard to keep my face blank.

"Well…I have to go. I'll be back." She sent a worried look around at us, before walking down the corridor. As her footsteps faded, we turned to the door, then to each other.

"Uchiha…You…you're really back?" Neji sent me a look as guarded as his words.

"Yes."

"And you…you and Naruto…You're getting along?" This time it was Sai who spoke.

I looked at the strangely dressed man. "Yeah…We were…" I swallowed, not quite sure how to continue. He seemed to understand, or was at least pretending to, because he nodded his head, not forcing me to explain any further.

A harsh voice spoke next. "You're not forgiven, you know? Not by us, not by him. You'll never be forgiven." Kiba sent a forceful glare at me, before receiving some of his own from Ino and Hinata.

I looked down at my feet, trying to ignore the harsh ring of truth his words spoke. All of the sudden, I felt two hands worming their way around mine. I looked to my right, then to my left, and was confronted with comforting half-smiled from each woman. The look in their eyes told me they knew something I didn't.

To my left, a door burst open. A medic nin ran out. "SHIZUNE!" He yelled, making us all cringe. He bellowed her name again, then turned back into the room when he saw her running. She followed soon after him, and the door slammed shut once again. I stared at the door in a stupor for what felt like a minute or two, but from the way the two around me pulled me back to the wall, it must have been awhile.

They each put a head on my shoulder, and slowly their breathing evened out. Choji fell under soon, his soft snores filling the emptiness in the hallway. Kiba, however reluctantly, followed him within ten minutes. Neji looked at me expectantly. I sent a purposeful look at the door, before looking back at him.

"Go ahead, Sasuke. I've had a full nights sleep, so I can keep watch, and if anything happens, I'll wake you up, okay?"

I looked at him slightly suspiciously, and he sighed. "Look, I don't love you, I don't even like you very much, but Naruto does. For whatever reason, Naruto wants you in his life, and as long as I can, I'll help with that wish."

I bit my lip, then decided to trust him. Leaning back, carefully so as not to wake the temperamental people on my shoulders, I closed my eyes, and let myself slip into unconsciousness.

Soon, too soon for my liking, I was shaken awake for the fourth time that night, or rather, morning. I was about ready to attack them when I remembered where I was. My eyes shot open, and I looked at the person standing over me. It was Neji, and standing behind his was a very exhausted looking Shikamaru.

"It's Naruto. He's been moved to a hospital room." I wormed my way under them, and Choji took my place before they could wake up. The three of us plus Kiba began fast-walking down all the many stairs and hallways, trying to find room 114.

Finding the room, I was about to walk in, when Shikamaru stopped me. "Listen…Sasuke…I need to warn you of something…He's stabilized, but...There's still a fifty percent chance he wont make it…I need you to understand that and be aware of it." He looked at me, and his eyes were filled with sympathy and regret.

I drew in a breathe, but it was so shaky, I got almost no air. "I…I understand…" Somewhat hesitantly, I grabbed the door knob. A comforting hand found its way to my shoulder, and somehow I made myself turn the knob, not quite sure I was ready for whatever lay beyond.

* * *

_You know, I actually don't really like Ino, or Hinata, but for some reason, I decided to make them good. _

_Kiba, however, I do like, and yet, the idea of a posessive best friend with a grudge Kiba is just so apealing...I read an amazing Sasunaru fanfic where he's like that, and it just kinda stuck with me..._

_Anyways, Since pretty much everyone wanted his to be able to visit Naruto, I decided to be kind and let him..._

_Review please!_


	10. Early morning Revelations

_Authors notes_

_I am so sorry about how late this was! I have sat at my computer every night trying to write, but unfortunantly on top of a major case of writers block, I've been really sick, broke up with my ass of a boyfriend, made three new friends, I'm losing some really close friends, and I've developed a health problem due to stress! Yippie, right? Anwyas, I know you're not looking to hear about my crappy teen years, and if you got this far, I'm proud of you, if not, onto the story. _

_Warning: Slight shohen-ai, light Kiba and Sakura bashing-not really, they just aren't nice-, crappy writing?_

_Disclamor: I'm saving up my money so that one day soon I will be able to fly to Japan, look mr. naruto-creator-guy in the eyes, and say "Look, see, I'm not going to threaten you, but if Naruto and Sasuke aren't married within the next five chapters, you may or may not be in the hospital with katana in your gut that I may or may not have shoved in your gut..."-I swear, I'm not dealing with anger issues, honest...-_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

I gasped in horror. Naruto looked terrible. There were tubes sticking out everywhere, and blood, so much blood. He was covered in dried blood; his hair was matted with it. I rushed over and took his hand. The normally warm skin was shockingly cold.

"What…what happened to him?" My voice was shaky, even to myself.

"They seemed to have coated their weapons with poison. It…began eating away at his skin and veins…We had to make several antidotes, and they may not mix well…" Shikamaru looked at me, genuine sadness in his eyes.

"You said that he may not make it…?" Neji trailed off, his eyes locked on Naruto's unmoving form.

"Like I said, we're not sure how they antidotes will react with one another. If even one or two don't work…" He looked at his feet, then out the window. Kiba and Neji went over and each grabbed one of his hands. We stood there for a long time, me holding Naruto's hand and them holding each others.

It began getting dark maybe an hour later, and a few hours after that I was falling asleep on my feet. My eyes kept fluttering closed before jerking open. Someone-Neji I think- dragged a chair over and gently pushed me in it.

"Thanks…" I mumbled sleepily. I closed my eyes and tried to let my consciousness slip away, but found it hard to think of anything but the nin on the bed. I focused on the beeping of the heart monitor, and soon I could feel myself slipping away.

The next three days passed in the same way. I would wake up, then sit there all day. There was always another nin with us, but I rarely paid them any attention. Hinata and Ino came in often, and we would talk normally, but with the others it was always awkward. Neji and Shikamaru were torn between liking me and hating me, so we didn't speak much. Kiba refused to talk to me, and instead just glared at me for hours. Sometime after dark I would fall asleep, still gripping his hand.

It was twilight on the fourth day when Sai came in. He was unusually pale, and had slight circles under his eyes, but I knew that I had to look worse. He dragged a chair over and set it about a foot away from me. When he sat down, I could feel his eyes trained on me, but I refused to turn away from Naruto.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" When I didn't reply, he spoke again. "Even when he looks like death warmed up, he's still got this…magic, doesn't he?"

"Yeah…" I said in agreement.

He was quiet for a few minutes, then began again. "Do-."

Sai was cut off by the door opening. In walked a limping Sakura. She looked as bad as I felt. Her eyes got all watery when she saw Naruto.

"Oh, Kami…" She whispered. Walking over to his other side, she picked up the hand that wasn't firmly set in mine. Raising it up to her check, she held it there for a good long while, and I despite the situation, I felt jealousy flow like acid through my veins. Sai must have picked up on my feelings, because just as I was about to say something, he coughed lightly, and Sakura opened her eyes, seeming to remember we were here.

"So…they let you out?" She glared lightly at me.

I returned the look. "Obviously." I was annoyed. The last time she saw me, she was kind. Now she was almost rude. It seemed like the only reason she liked me was because I was on death row. Either that or something had changed in the past weeks.

She gave Naruto a lingering kiss on the forehead, then walked to Sai and gave him a small hug. Before she left she paused in the doorway. Without looking back, she said "I hope you know what you're going to do…Some people won't wait forever for to make up your mind." Then she was gone, left to limp alone back to her hospital room.

I stared in the dark, pondering over her words and actions. Her kiss had seemed almost lover like, and her words were troubling. What had she meant when she said that I needed to decide on what to do? Had she meant she would make a move, or somebody else would?

I was jerked out of my thoughts by a smooth, clear voice. "She's right, you know. Some people will be patient with you, but many won't. He's in very high demand here in Konoha…Many women _and_ men richer, stronger, and nicer than you want his love." He stood up, and put his hands on my shoulders when I tried to protest.

"Shhh. You know I'm right." He gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze before exiting quietly.

In the dark, the silence seemed overwhelming. There was nothing but the monitors and Naruto's faint breathing to keep me company and distract me from my thoughts. The mere thought of someone else having Naruto's attention, his affection was enough to make me sweat. I fell asleep slowly, my head resting on the side of his bed.

My dream was a montage of memories. Us at the river as children, our first kiss, our first spar, the first time I saved him, the first time I was proud of him, the first time he saved me, our first fight, our last fight, the last thing I ever said to him, and a thousand things in between. Suddenly everything was still, and the only image in my mind was Naruto surrounded by small, pink-haired, blue-eyed children, laughing.

My hand crashed into the metal edge of the bed, and I jerked awake. I looked at Naruto, staring wide eyed. I was vaguely aware of the blood that ran from my newly acquired cut, but I was much more preoccupied with my startling revelation.

"I…I love you…" My whispered words seemed much louder in the early morning stillness, and hung heavy above my head. The blonde on the bed seemed to hear me, because a few seconds after I said it, he turned his head in my direction and smiled slightly. I tensed, waiting to see if he would wake up, but when he remained still, I relaxed somewhat and laid my head next to his thigh.

"Kami…what do I do now?"

* * *

_Okay, so, Dudes and Dudettes, I have a question, as always, and my question is this: I want either Naruto or Sasuke -or both- to have another love interst, and I want to know who your top two for each person would be...the story will always be a SasuNaru, but I want something to prolonge it, so I need some help..._

_Review please! It would really help!_


	11. Between a rock and a hard place

_Author's notes_

_Okay, so, um, I'm not sure if this is up to my usual standerds -as if I even have those anymore- but things have been really hectic lately, so I was a bit strained..._

_Warning: Shohen-ai, weird genre switching, mentions of Orochimaru/Sasuke, Sakura and Kibe being unfavorable_

_Disclamor: Seriously, have you seen the way Karin, like, breathes and stuff? Yeah, that soooooo wouldn't be happening if it was my show..._

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, far too soon, I gradually lifted myself up sleepily and looked at Naruto. The morning sunlight was streaming through the window directly on him, so that he seemed to glow. My revelation from last night popped into me head, and I felt a faint blush come over my cheeks. I looked down at him and couldn't help but smile. Yawning, I was about to lay back down when I heard a small noise. 

I looked over at Naruto and my eyes widened in surprise. There, staring at me with heavy eyes, were his expressive blue ones. They found mine, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. 

"Where am I?" His thick voice asked me, and it startled me out of my silence.

"In the hospital…you were hurt bad, dobe…" I willed my voice to stay even, and for once Kami was on my side. 

"Oh…" His voice trailed off. We were quiet for a moment, then he spoke again. "They let you out?"

"Only for a little while, until you get better. I've been good all these weeks, so…"

"Oh." He repeated. He looked down at our hands. I began to move mine away, but his hand tightened around it. 

"Please stay…" Naruto's voice was soft, and his eyes, despite starting to close, were pleading. I squeezed his hand lightly, and he visibly relaxed. Soon his breathing evened out again. I watched him for a little while, then felt the call of sleep luring me in, so I gently rested my head in his lap. For the first time in over two weeks, I felt some small kind of peace, and I could feel myself grinning lightly as I slipped into blackness. 

I woke up to the comforting feel of hands stroking my hair, and rubbing my shoulders. There were hushed voices all around me, and I was so calmed by the whole situation that for a time I just lay there and let everything wash over me. However, I realized that they were talking about someone in particular, me, so I started listening to the voices. At first they were garbled, but gradually they began to make more sense. 

"-Don't know how glad we are you're back-"

"-Been so worried, he's hardly left you're bedside-"

"He's so tense…" 

I opened my eyes. Slowly, the hand in my hair slowed down and finally stopped, though the hands massaging me stayed the same. The voices trailed off too. I sat up gently and looked around. Sai was leaning against the opposite wall, Kiba was on the other side of Naruto's bed, Ino was sitting in a chair slightly behind my chair. Kakashi was near the door, and Sakura was sitting at the foot of his bed. Neji and Shikamaru were sitting in chairs along the last wall. Turning slightly, I could see that Hinata was the one giving me the massage. 

All the eyes in the room were on me, and I could feel myself turning slightly pink. I cleared my throat, hoping it would make them look away, but no one did. We all sat in still silence, none of us apparently willing to break it. Finally, Ino said something.

"Well, isn't this fun?" When none of us replied, she tried again. "So, Sasuke, do you know when you're gonna get to go to town?"

"No…it could be years…" My voice sounded almost pitiful, even to myself, so I added an Uchiha glare for good measure. 

"Good. A traitor like you shouldn't have been aloud to leave that courtroom, let alone go anywhere." All of our heads turned to look at Kiba. He stood, and walked to the center of the room, and Sakura joined him. 

"Do you even know how much pain you caused? Countless times we've sat by peoples bedsides, watched them suffer, because of you and your stupid dream!" His voice was steadily getting louder throughout the whole speech. He was gritting his teeth hard by the end of it, so hard I absently thought they would shatter. Sakura put a reassuring hand briefly on his shoulder, then locked eyes with me.

"Answer this Sasuke: While you were laying in bed with Orochimaru all those nights, did you ever think of everyone here, or had he gotten you to forget us so easily?" Someone- I couldn't exactly tell who through the ringing in my ears- made an angry noise when she referred to Orochimaru, but it did little to defer her. An odd numbness started to spread through my body. Hinata's hands finally stilled. 

"How about when you were fighting your brother, when you watched the life drain out of him along with his blood, were you thinking of doing that to us? Were you thinking of the horrible misery you caused everyone in Konoha? Or even the desolation you brought upon your own best friend? Have you even once thought of us, or had we become trivial pieces of your childhood?" This time it was Neji-I'm sure it was him- that made the noise, a strange growling sound, along with Hinata and Ino. Again, this did nothing to stop her; if anything, it just spurred her on. 

"Did all of you forget? You fought so hard, your friends fought so hard, to bring him back, and all you got were hospital bills! He has done _nothing_ for you, ever, and yet you flock to him like lovesick puppies! Are you all so caught up in his _splendor_," She sneered, "That you didn't even see what he's done? What you've done?" 

She looked at me, a hard edge like I'd never seen before in her eyes. Her nostrils were flaring, and her hands were clenching and unclenching rapidly. Everything about her screamed "hatred". The people around me were staring at her in shock; even emotionless Sai, and Kiba looked vaguely like he would be sick. 

Closing her eyes, she spoke again, in a deadly calm voice. "Naruto, I love you. You are everything to me. However," She paused, and I got the strange feeling something awful was about to come out of her mouth, "I tried to understand, for your sake, why he did what he did, but when I see him, all I can see is him and Orochimaru, when I think of him, all I think about are the broken bodies of my friends."

She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself. Her words came out slowly and clearly. "You need to choose: Its him or me, Naruto." 

* * *

_HAHAHA! I left you all with a cliff-hanger! _

_Okay, I'm really sorry about that, but it seemed like a good place to end it, so...Plus, I haven't exactly decided how I want this to go, but I just want to assure everybody that if Naruto and Sasuke end up with anybody, it's going to be each other, because I'm a diehard SasuNaru fan, so rest assured: Any other pairings will be temporary..._

_Just to let you know, I'm going on Spring Break on Friday, so there probably wont be any chapters for at least a week...-cue evil laughter-_

_Remember, if you want something, all you have to do is be nice and review! -I so didn't mean for the endto rhyme, by the way-_


	12. The choices we make

_Author's notes_

_Yay! Chapter twelve! I never thought it would get past chapter six, so to see it get this far feels great! I'm back from Montana too! Whoo! The trip was really eventful, and yet I didn't really do anything but read and draw! I even had to go eight days without internet or a computer! It was torchure! Lol...So, does anyone even read the author's notes? I mean, I do, but...Well, even if people don't, I'm still gonna write 'em!_

_Warnings: Shohen-ai? -Okay, I am so sorry about how little actual boy love is going on, but fear not! There will be some...somewhere...eventually...- A bit of Naru/Saku -Gasp! I know, I know, this is a Sasu/Naru, but it has to be there! Trust me!- and OOC -Omg, guys, I just realized how out-of-character everyone is!-_

_Disclamor: -SPOILER WARNING...so be warned...If you haven't heard alot about Tobi, skip this...- See, now, if I owned Naruto, Tobi would be a sweet little idiot, and not a really creepy double personality dude or whatever..._

_Author: As always, Obsessive_

I looked at Naruto. His mouth was opening and closing like a fish; had it been another situation, I might have made a snide remark about it. However, there was nothing funny about this. There was nothing even _remotely_ pleasant about it.

"You don't…you don't really mean that, do you?" Neji asked her.

"I do." She said in a hard voice.

"Sakura..?" Ino's voice trailed off into space.

"What? You can't deny that you're mad at him too! Just because I'm up front about it, doesn't mean I should be persecuted!" Her voice was sharp, angry, yet her words were precise, like she had spoken them before. Nobody said anything in their reply, and their silence stung.

Turning to focus on Naruto, she cocked her head to the side. "Well..?"

Swallowing, he seemed to find his voice with difficulty. "You…you're really serious?"

"Course I am. I think I'm even being pretty fair. I mean, I left you alone for weeks before I said something, which is more then most people." She paused for a second before continuing. "Look, its really quite simple: You have to choose between your ex-friend who not only abandoned us but has tried to kill you numerous times, or the woman who has been completely loyal to you and always supported you. It's that simple."

The worst thing, worse than the fact that she said all this in front of everyone, was the fact that even though she had over simplified the story horribly, everything she said was the truth. An ugly, biased version of it, but the truth none-the-less. I could feel my breathing start to shallow. Neji must have heard it, because he walked over and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, Sasuke, lets get some air."

I looked at Naruto. There was an expression akin to misery adorning his face, and looking at him I could feel my heart crack. His eyes were sad when he gestured for me to go. I looked at him for a long moment before standing up. When I walked past Sakura, she visibly stiffened and moved away. Sai followed us out.

Walking down the long hallway towards the stairs, I followed Neji, and Sai followed me. Up, up, up we went. I thought we were going up to the roof from the way we were going, but at the bottom of the last stairwell, he turned right. We walked until we came upon a few vending machines and a long bench at the end of the corridor.

"What do you want?" Neji said, gesturing towards the brightly lit machines.

I shook my head. Honestly, I think if I ate anything I would be sick.

Sai walked close behind me. "Sasuke, you haven't eaten anything in a week. Your body needs food."

"You can go three weeks without food." I said mechanically, but I walked over and pointed to a few things. Neji pulled out an expensive looking wallet while Sai gently pulled me to the bench. He handed me the food and slowly I ate on auto-pilot. When I was done with about half of it all, and on the verge of puking, Sai took what was left and dumped it, then sat down next to me. Neji and him scooted close until they were right up against me, and I let myself relax into them.

Sometime later a nurse walked to the juice machine, got something, walked away, then stopped and walked backwards to stare at us. After a few moments she left, but she kept throwing glances over her shoulder at us. I realized we must have been a bit of a sight. Three dark-haired, beautiful, clearly angst-ridden teenage boys leaning on each other; Kami, no wonder she stared. We're a yaoi fan-girls dream come true! And somehow, all that did was make me snuggle into them more.

Eventually, I spoke. "What do you think they're doing down there?"

Both of them stiffened slightly. "I…They're…probably talking out the options, Sasuke." Neji answered honestly, if somewhat hesitantly. Sai said nothing, as usual.

"Yeah…"

"Listen…Sasuke…If…if, you know, Naruto…he…well, we want you to know that whatever happens, all of us are gonna be here for you, okay? Me and Sai…we'll take care of you, no matter what."

I looked up at them, and felt a small, sad smile slip onto my face. They both smiled just as small back at me. We sat there for a while longer until we heard a soft voice call out.

"Neji? Sai? Sasuke?" She kept repeating, getting closer each time. We stood in almost unison, and I noticed with displeasure that both men were over three inches taller than me. The thought flew from my mind as I realized that because Hinata was calling us, Naruto must have made a decision.

The walk back to the room was awkward and silent. Hinata offered me a reassuring smile, but all it did was put me even more on edge. With every second that passed I was realizing how much I needed to be with Naruto, how much I loved him.

When we got to the room, Ino offered me a smile just like Hinata's, to the same result. I looked at Naruto and noticed his red, slightly puffy eyes. He had been crying, and that immediately set off alarms in my head. Sakura came in a second or two after us, looking nervous.

When everyone was settled, Naruto cleared his throat, then began. "I…I want to say…that…whoever I choose, that doesn't…I mean…I don't want to completely cut either of you out of my life…So, maybe, I could, you know, still write or something to the other..? And…I'm not sure…I mean…I'm not sure I made the…right…choice… But…okay, I'll say it."

He took a deep breathe. "Sakura…you've been invaluable to me, the person that's saved my life more than once. Our friendship means the world to me, and I'll admit I've always had a crush on you…Sasuke, you're my everything. You always have been, even since we were little. Our…friendship," He said that word in a hesitant way that made my stomach twist uncomfortably. "It's done so much for me, physically and mentally…But…Sakura was right. You don't seem to care about me the way I care about you." At this I tried to protest, but Sakura's death glare silenced me almost immediately.

"That's why…I choose…Sakura." Sakura's face lit up with joy as my own body went numb. The ringing in my ears was back, louder this time, and I blinked a few times, staring at them. Sakura gave Naruto a deep hug, then pulled back and began to lean into his face. Neji and Sai began to pull me out the door quickly, but before I got out I saw Sakura lock-lips with Naruto. They managed to drag my numb, stumbling body a few feet down the hallway before my knees began to weaken.

"Sasuke?" Neji's frantic voice barely made it past the ringing.

"I'm…sorry…" Was all I was able to get out before the world got fuzzy and I dropped to the floor, surrounded by black.

* * *

_**Okay, so, fans and readers, I have to say something: **_

_**I am getting a little tired of you! I mean, not to sound conceted, but alot of people have alerted/faved/read this story, and yet the same five or so people review it! **_

_**I'm not saying I don't appreciate those people, cause I do, they're the reason I keep writing, but come on people! **_

_**If you're gonna alert/fav it, have the decency to review it! I'm speaking for most authors here when I say that we like reviews more than alerts/favs! **_

_**So even though I have chapter thirteen already written, I'm not gonna upload it until I get at least ten reviews, which I think is pretty fair, so if you like this story, please review it!**_

**_-If you review this story regularly, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Really, those reviews are the air I breathe!-_**

_-By the way, I've already said it, but again, THIS WILL ALWAYS BE A SASU/NARU STORY! SAKURA WILL NOT BE WITH HIM AT THE END OF THIS! SO RELAX!-_

_**Reviews make the author a little less bitchy! **_


	13. Time for a change

_Authors notes_

_Wow, two posts in one day! Well, I haven't slept in between them, so its the same day for me...lol...Anyways, I just wanted to clear something up: i would have kept writing this, and probably kept posting it, even if I hadn't gotten the reviews, but...You know, sometimes, you get to places in your life when you just need to know that someone cares about you, even if its something as small as a review...So...Just wanted to put it out there that I'm not one of those writers that holds fics hostage...Obviously, since this is the quickest update I've ever done...lol...So, its not great, but its enough...I think..._

_Warnings: Slight almost humor...um...Other than OOCness, I think that's it..._

_Disclamor: Sometime, I will put a slightly funny and obsessive denial of ownership here, but its past midnight, my last night of vacation, and I have a migrane, complete with a stomech ache, so just know that only in my wildest fantasys would I own Naruto...Or when I get my sword...-I found this sword in Montana, a really good price, and I'm gonna save up for it, and get ay auny to by it for me!! Wont that be fun!!-_

_Author: Obsessive -Who knows she's rambling, but doesn't care much at the moment-_

"I think he's coming to!" A feminine voice said from somewhere to my left.

"Open your eyes Sasuke." A strong voice commanded, not quite as high and yet just as feminine as the first. It wasn't a request, it was an order, said in a tone that promised bodily harm if it wasn't complied with, so I did as she said immediately.

Neji and sai sat on either side of me, looking serious. Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, I think, stood farther back in the room, removed from everything. Tsunade sat on the edge of my bed by my knee, her chin resting on her palm.

I tried to move, but the numb feeling was still there, so I tried to speak, but before I could say anything, she spoke. "You've been out less than two hours. Stress, and a bit of malnourishment." She sent me a look as I nodded.

There was a tense pause before she spoke again. " I heard about what happened." She sighed deeply.

"First of all, I want to say how much I disapprove of Sakura's ultimatum, and how much more I disapprove of Naruto's choice." She sent me a sympathetic look, but her words were barely even registering in my head, let alone making me sad.

Pursing her lips, she continued. " However, what's done is done, and now we need to deal with the consequences. I've just spoken to Naruto, and as I understand it, Sakura isn't going to let you and Naruto converse much, correct?" I stared blankly at her, so Neji stepped up to the plate yet again and answered for me.

"For the moment, yes."

"Okay, so, for the moment, it seems as if we'll need another capable ninja. Or two." She added, looking between the two of them. "How about it, boys?"

"It works with me…But if you would, could you be the one to tell Master Gai and Lee?" She looked at him, and, despite herself, let out a small giggle, then sobered up.

"Of course." She looked at Sai.

"It should be fine…given the circumstances…" She nodded.

"Good. Then in a little bit, when Sasuke feels able, the three of you will need to stop by your houses and pack a bag or two. Naruto's stuff will still be in the house, and between the four of you, there wont be much extra room, so be aware of that."

"He wont be taking his stuff?" Sai asked.

She sighed again. "Just the very basics, like a few clothes and some ninja gear. This is still his mission, whether Sakura likes it or not, and he will not be allowed to abandon it."

By this time her words weren't even making it to my brain; instead, they were bouncing around between my ears. Thankfully, Neji and Sai seemed to be listening, since they were nodding, so the little piece of me way in the back of my head relaxed slightly, not having to worry about being terribly out of the loop.

She stood. "Well, it looks like my job here is done. Sasuke, the same rules still apply, and they know them, so no funny business."

At this, I couldn't help but giggle. The idea of me being able to do anything, let alone something sneaky, just about sent me into hysterics, and had it not been for my deep Uchiha heritage, I might have. She sent me a worried look, the walked back over to me.

"I'm so, so sorry, Sasuke." She kissed my forehead lightly, tenderly, motherly, and there was something so comforting about it that I calmed my self and was even able to talk.

"Thank you…" I said to no one in particular.

Barely ten minutes later the three of us were walking out of the room and down the long hallway towards the stairs. Somewhere in the back of my mind I made a mental note to ask someone about the purpose of the extra long hallways, which distracted me enough that I was able to walk be his door without looking at it.

Sai's apartment was closest, so we stopped there first. He gathered a few outfits and a bunch of art supplies, pushed them into two bags, then declared himself packed. We began the long walk towards the Hyuuga estate, which lay on the other end of town, of course. Along the way, many villagers, ninja and civilian alike stared at us.

When we finally made it there, I realized a few problems about going to the Hyuuga house. First, there were servants _everywhere, _and they stared at us like we were some kind of side show. Then, there was his actual family. We had to go with him to tell the elders of his mission, and they bombarded us with questions, that, thankfully, Neji skillfully avoided. Finally, Neji got packed, and we were on our way out when something, a bird I think, distracted me and Sai, and by the time we got back to earth, Neji was no where to be seen.

After wandering around for awhile, he found us, and we began making our way out, again. The lighthearted air of our afternoon excursion quickly faded the closer we got to the house. Our talk soon dwindled, and a heavy silence settled over us. I let them into the house without saying anything, then gave them a quick tour of the house. They dropped their bags in the relatively Naruto-free bedroom –He had left most of his stuff in the living room instead- then looked around the house some more.

"Wow…" Neji and I looked down the hallway towards Sai. When we found him, he was standing in the middle of the small, yet nice, mostly glass green house-like room at the end of the hallway. It over-looked the yard, facing away from town, towards the city limits. He turned around and gave us a smile that, while I knew it might be fake, seemed completely real.

"This would be perfect for painting!" Then he stopped and looked at me. "That is, if its okay with you…"

"Of course it is. We barely even went in here, to tell you the truth. Neither of us could find the best use for it, so…" It was true; there was nothing in the room but a few chairs and a couch we deemed somewhat passable, so left it here.

He gave another real/fake smile, then we walked out. They went into the kitchen and began preparing dinner while I sat at the table, resting my head on the cool surface. I was almost asleep when someone nudged my head with a warm bowl.

"Eat up." I looked at the bowl of pasta, and for some reason, all I could see was Naruto. I blinked back tears, then tried to eat so they wouldn't be worried. Halfway through I gave up, but they let it slide. We moved into the living room and watched the sunset, and the sky turn from yellow to purple-blue and every color in between, its beauty not tampered by anything but the slightly dirty window we were looking through.

Finally, Neji said "I'm tired…lets go to bed." Sai and I nodded in agreement, then walked to the bedroom.

Taking a chance, I walked over to Naruto's bed and lay down, hoping that I hadn't indicated that the other was my bed. If I had, they choose not to say anything, because the two of them crawled into bed after me. Fairly quickly, their breathing evened out, and thankfully they, like Naruto, were quiet sleepers, but despite that I couldn't sleep, so I settled on the next best thing.

Turning onto my stomach, I pushed my face deep into Naruto's pillow and inhaled deeply, taking in a scent that was slightly sweaty and rugged and completely Naruto, and repeated that for a long time. After a bit I realized that the pillow was becoming damp, and briefly wondered why, then figured out I was crying, and just let my head inhale Naruto and add to the moisture saturating the pillowcase, until the early hours of the morning, when I fell into an exhausted and completely fitful sleep.

* * *

_So...I know this chapter was kind of totally crappy, but it was like a filler chapter...It's all just taking us where we need to go...I have the rest of the story mostly planned out, so unless the plot-bunnies come and take me somewhere far away, I should be able to write...maybe...possibly...if I'm lucky..._


	14. Happy birthday

_Author's notes_

_I'm back! I think this must be a record or something! At least for me it is! Three updates in less than five days! Whoo! I'm so happy with how this story is turning out, and all the wonderful reviews I've been getting! I'm going through a rough patch, so every review I get is a huge stimulentish thing! Lol...This chapter doesn't rock, but its good enough, I think._

_Disclamor: Is Sakura still wandering around free, telling people she's a ninja? Yeah, if I owned it, Sasori would be dancing on her grave right now_

_Warning: Filler chappie? Other than that, not much else, I don't think..._

_Dedicated to: __Earthsoftenstheflame__, for being my 100th reviewer!!_

"Sasuke, stop playing with your food and eat it…please." Sai said disapprovingly.

I stopped making mountains with my food to look up at him. It had been a month since they had moved in with me, and I was still trying to get used to it. The mood swings, the masks of stone, the backhanded insults; everyday was a battle in our house. The fact that all three of us were so similar only made it all worse.

On top of all that, it seemed like there was an endless list of things I was doing wrong, and they felt the need to tell me so. The good thing was that everyday another ninja would come and visit us, saving me from the double-up I got all day. It was a breathe of fresh air, to be able to talk to different people, so different than my situation for the past few years.

When I picked up a small bite, they sighed but continued eating. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Neji spoke. "Your birthdays coming up soon, right?" Without looking up from my plate, I nodded.

"So, I guess we should start planning a party!" He said with enthusiasm while Sai nodded energetically and smiled –I was never sure if it was fake our real- and said "Sounds great!"

I stared at both blankly. I hadn't celebrated my birthday since before the massacre, and with everything that had happened in the last few months I was honestly planning on spending the day under the covers, hiding away in my room. In fact, the very idea of seeing people on that day was enough to make me feel sick.

They seemed to take my silence as consent. I was suddenly launched head first into party plans. Five minutes into it my head was spinning. Ten minutes after that I was getting a killer migraine. Their voices were echoing and pounding in my head like drums.

Finally, I said something other than my usual 'no' and 'fine'. "Hey!" They turned to look at me. "If you want to plan me a party, good for you! But please, for my sake, keep me out of it!" I sent them a glare for good measure, then planted myself face down on the couch.

For a minute they were quiet, and I began to hope maybe they would call the whole thing off. However, my hopes were dashed when they started up again, even more excitedly, if it was possible. I mentally bashed my head against the coffee table. I hadn't meant that, I just said it to make them shut up.

Of course, right at that moment Ino chose to walk through the front door.

"Hello guys!" Her bright voice called out.

"Ino! Just the woman we were looking for!"

"Why?"

I could practically hear Neji's smirk. "Well, Sasuke's birthday is next week, and we thought we'd plan him a little party!"

She squealed in joy. I think that was about the time when I was –mercifully- dropped into dreamland. Well, it wasn't much of a dream. I was on a line, standing still. On my right was a bright white hallway; on the left was a pitch black one. My foot was just starting to move when I felt myself move.

"Shhh, shhh. Go back to sleep." I think it was Sai who said this, though I wasn't quite sure. However, the strong arms were comforting, and I was so tired that decided to follow their orders, and descended into sleep again. This time it was dreamless.

The next few days were so full of activity, I could barely keep track. They were so busy that even though I never left the house, at the end of each day I was exhausted. All of the rookie nine, except for Sakura and Naruto, and Gai's team, had taken up coming over when at sunrise, and leaving at sunset. Between the planes, the people, and my nightmares, I was barely getting five hours of sleep a night. Still, to see them so happy because of me was nice, and I was glad I was able to get them together like this.

I woke up the day of my birthday cold. My blanket was lying in a heap on the floor, and the beam of light that was barely peaking through was falling on them, missing my bed completely. Sighing deeply, I closed my eyes tightly and rolled over away from them, curling up into the fetal position to warm myself.

I'm not sure how long I was laying there before Neji and Sai seemed to wake up. It wasn't long enough to me, though, as I could feel the excitement hanging in the air. The whispered to themselves for a minute or so before walking over to my bed.

"Hey…" As I opened my eyes wearily, I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. The other man must have picked up my blanket, because I felt the soft, slightly cold fabric settle on my body.

"Shhh. Go back to bed; sleep all you want, because today is your day. We'll wake you up if we need to." The hand left me, and I heard them walk out of the bedroom quietly. They closed the door softly, and as it did I could feel drowsiness coming over me again.

"Sasuke, baby, wake up!" I was shaken awake by a soft hand.

"Ino? Hinata?" I could see the shy girl standing behind Ino by my bed.

"Time to get ready!" And with that, she pulled me out of bed. They preceded to strip me, shove me in the shower, pull me out, then dress me in tight black pants and a button up navy-blue dress shirt. My face seemed to be stained red from the embarrassment of being undressed by two girls. After an hour of that, I was pushed into a chair while they fluttered around my hair, trying in vain to get the stubborn spikes to lay flat.

Finally, I was deemed ready by the girls, and the three of us walked out of the bedroom in style. When we got to the living room, I saw that streamers and balloons decorated the room. on top of that, everyone from Konoha who had known me seemed to be there.

"Happy birthday Sasuke!" They shouted in unison. Despite how horrible the past year had been, and how guilty I felt seeing them, a huge grin was spreading across my face. All of them smiled back, clearly surprised to see me happy. The house was soon filled with chatter as people began relaxing and enjoying themselves. About half an hour after the party started, I made my way over to Kakashi. He was standing next to a very, very drunk Gai.

"An…an, an so I says…-hic-I says 'Spring is in blossom!- An he –hic- he says…"

"Master Kakashi?" I said somewhat hesitantly. He looked at me, clearly relieved. Gai smiled a drunken smile.

"Sake, my boy!" he said, trying to hug me but missing by about three feet.

"Gai, why don't you go talk to Anko? I'm sure she'd love that." Kakashi said, pushing him in her direction. He looked crestfallen for a moment before brightening.

"Anko, my boy!" The drunk called out, stumbling towards the temperamental female.

Kakashi sighed deeply, looking after his friend. Then, he turned his piercing gaze on me. We stood there, staring at each other for a few moments before I broke contact. I wanted, no, needed to apologize to him. Taking a deep breathe, I took a risk.

"I'm so sorry." I said, bowing deeply. I could hear the startled intake of breathe from him, and held my breath, preparing for the worst.

"You're forgiven." His deep, comforting voice reminded my of out Gennin months, and I was lost in memories for a couple of seconds while my brain caught up. When it did, I stood up fast and looked at him.

"You mean it?"

He nodded, then smiled slightly. "A part of my hates for what you did, and a part of me died that day, to be honest." Hid quiet words sent a wave of quilt through my system. "But Sasuke, you're my student, always, so I'll always forgive you."

I smiled, barely believing my good fortune. Then, deciding to test my luck a little bit more, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him in an awkward hug. A second later Kakashi jumped in, and I let myself be a little boy again. However, all good things have to end, so I reluctantly pulled away.

A sudden chakra signal had me whipping my head towards the door. I was right on time, as not twenty seconds later two people walked through. They moved towards the party, the girl hanging on to his arm while the room went silent.

"Is it time to party?" Sakura said in response to the silence.

* * *

_ I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who reviews this, favs it, or alerts it...You're encouragement means the world to me! This story -my baby- has the most reviews, the most alrets, and the third most favorites! That leads me to my next point...I know I'm always asking for reviews, but favs are good too..._

_Lol, I hoped you liked this chappie, and I promise the next one will try to be better! And it should come pretty quickly! I'm avoiding doing a writing assignment, so this should come out within a week..._

_Review or Fav please!_


	15. A Lover's spat

_Authors notes_

_Whew! i never thought I'd be able to write this chapter, and then, of course, I wrote it the next day! Lol, thats how it works with us...I'm nso happy because in this chapter, things finally start to happen! WHOO!! _

_Warning: A bit of Sakura bashing? Cursing, and bit of shohen-ai! Verbally, at least!_

_Disclamor: Dude...I really want to say that I own Naruto, but the lawyers yeeling at me through the door wont let me, so until I can find a way to tranquilize them, Naruto is safe_

_Dedicated to: roxychick93, because she left such a wonderful review! Just for her, I didn't even say anything negative about this chapter! Lol_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

I gaped at her, at them, in shock. No one told me they were coming. I looked around to find everyone looking almost as surprised as I felt. Wide eyes had quickly become the party look.

Grudgingly, I had to admit that they looked good together, perfect even. Her obnoxious pink was pulled into a loose bun, and an even more obnoxious, yet glamorous, mauve dress clung to her figure. Her bare arm was wrapped tightly around Naruto's. Finally, realizing I couldn't put it off any longer, I focused on him, and nearly swooned.

He was wearing shiny black shoes, girly, perhaps, yet undeniably sexy on him. Clean, well-ironed black pants surround his long legs. I traveled up his body, past his crisp white button-up shirt, settling on his deep blue-black tie briefly before reaching his face.

He looked horrible. Well, he was still gorgeous, but now there were deep bags under his eyes, and what seemed like new frown-lines. Worst of all were his eyes. Once they had been so full of joy and passion, but now they were empty and lacked sparkle, and they were just…dead…like I knew my own eyes looked.

We looked deep into each others eyes for a long while. I could feel the stares of everyone at the party on us, making me start to sweat. Abruptly I turned away and walked into the kitchen. Not long after I was joined by a worried Sai and Neji.

They opened their mouths, but I beat them to the punch. "I'm fine, I just wanted to get some water." I proved my point by turning on the sink. They looked at me unconvinced.

"Then you wont mind coming out?" Sai asked.

"Of course." I took a sip from the water in my hands, and with that I walked back into the living room. Everyone was back to talking, but there was an undeniable tension in the room that wasn't there before. The happy couple was talking to Rock Lee, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from saying something rude. Instead, I walked over and joined Hinata and Neji's conversation.

As I walked around talking to the various people there, I was aware of a pair of eyes following me, but I refused to acknowledge him. He had made his choice, as I kept reminding myself. After almost an hour of it though I was getting seriously pissed off. I turned and gave him my best Uchiha glare, and he visibly saddened. That made my heart twinge painfully, and it was all I could do to keep myself from going over to him and kissing his misery away. I had to remind myself yet again that he had the pink haired bitch to comfort him now.

As if she had heard me, she turned to me and glared. I frowned deeply at her, only to see Naruto do the same thing. He tugged on his arm, the arm that Sakura still clung to, and he mouthed something to her angrily. I tried to read his lips, but from this angle it was impossible, so instead I just watched his mouth. After a few seconds, he seemed to finish, because he turned away, as did Sakura. She glared one last time before focusing on Lee.

Barely ten minutes later, as I was getting some food from the kitchen, I heard someone yell "Shut up!". Rushing out without putting my plate down, I saw Naruto glaring at an alarmed Sakura. His nostrils were flaring dangerously, and I could see his eyes flash briefly between red and blue before settling once again on his regular azure. She was trembling slightly, but her shoulders were squared, showing that she was ready for a fight.

"I'm sick of this!! I though that being with you would be the best, but its not!! All you do all day is complain! Nothing I ever do is good enough for you!"

"Well, maybe if you actually tried to have a relationship with me, I wouldn't have to complain so much! I mean, all you do, all day, is stare out your window! What kind of woman wouldn't complain about that?!" She screamed back at him. "This is the first time we've been anywhere in weeks!!"

"Yeah, and this is such a great date, right? Crashing the party of my friend, just to rub it in his face that I apparently "belong to you"!" He made exaggerated air quotes before balling his hands into fists.

"Well, you do!! Not even the little whore himself could deny that!!"

"HEY!" Both me and Naruto called out. I felt my cheeks heating up from rage. There were a lot of insults someone could call me, but that wasn't one of them. I felt Neji and Sai rush to my side, ready to either help me or stop me, I wasn't sure which.

Sakura glared at me again, much more heatedly. "You see this, Sasuke? This is what you do! Everything you touch gets ruined! The two of us are in love, and yet you still-"

"I LOVE SASUKE, NOT YOU!!" Naruto's angry bellow echoed in the strangely still room. I was vaguely aware of the plate in my hand falling and breaking, but mostly all I was aware of was Naruto. He was still shaking with rage, but now his cheeks were pink with embarrassment. He didn't look at me as he continued.

"I never loved you! Even when we were kids, it was never you! Neither of us ever loved you, and you know it!" Her overly-made up face was frozen in fury and shock. She began sputtering, but quickly quieted when she realized there was no argument to his words.

Seeing that she was done, the blonde closed his eyes tightly before turning to me. "Sasuke…I love you, I always have…and even if you never return my feelings, they'll never change…" He looked down in something that might have been sadness or embarrassment, but I wasn't sure which.

I tired to say something, but my vocal chords had chosen to give out, so I cleared my throat and tried again. "Naruto, I…" But I got no farther because a voice interrupted me.

"Wait!"

* * *

_Duh duh duh!! Another cliffe-hanger!! Thats my favorite place to end stories, if anybody else has noticed..._

_I'm so sad! Compulsive is moving away at the end of the month! To a whole new town! We'll hardly ever be able to see eachother then! Seriously...its like...totally sucky...our other friend is taking it really hard too, and has become even more pissy, which is hard...the whole situation is bad...but enough of my whining!_

_Review help ease the pain!!_


	16. Arguments between friends

_Authors notes_

_Hello peoples! It is I , Obsessive, with another chapter of Captive! And only a day later! Seriously, I should get a medal...or something...lol..._

_**NOTE: Someone pointed out to me that while they liked the story, they weren't going to read the whole thing because it was found in a NaruSasu community, and in the warnings it says SasuNaru, so I just want to say this...Sonce this is a teen story, I didn't have an uke thought out in my head, I just wrote them how I thought they might act in this situation, given the situations they'd been through. I have no prefrence to which it is, a NaruSasu or SasuNaru, so feel free to see it whichever you want...**_

_Waring: A disapointing amount of talking between side characters, vaugue mentions of OroSasu rape, and while this isn't my favorite chapter, its not bad, so...oh, and OOC, because I've been frogetting to say that_

_Disclamor: One day...One day...Just you wait..._

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

I turned to look at Sai. He was looking at me intently, a deep frown marring his face. I raised an eye-brow at his sudden outburst, and he frowned harder. "Sasuke, please, think about this!"

Ino came up and stood by him. "He treated you so badly…Throwing you aside like an old book, forgotten, until the new one got boring..."

Then Lee stepped forward. "Yes, but was it not Sasuke who almost killed Naruto many times before? Has he not admitted it?"

"Yes, but doesn't that show his respect for Naruto?"

Lee looked a little irritated. "How do you figure that?"

"Well, he cared about him enough to take the time to try to kill him…What did Naruto do? He just removed Sasuke from his life at the first sign of trouble, like he didn't even deserve the kindness of treating him like a human being!" The angry blonde pushed her hip to the side and put her hand on it, daring him to continue.

"Your logic has many flaws…Naruto has the right to treat him like scum, because that is the way he treated us for many years!" He said, voice rising, stepping closer to Ino.

"Is that so? Because the way I heard it, Naruto tried to kill him too, but I must have heard wrong!"

"It was self protection!"

Both were on the verge of yelling while Naruto and I just stood to either side and waited for them to end it, listening to the points each made. The rest of the people at the party were staring at the verbal match like some morning soup opera, their eyes darting back and forth between the two as each yelled point came across.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the painful memories slide over me like burning hot water. Images of blood, and bodies littered all around me, broken souls who'd never heal, even with time. Every picture was clear, precise, cold, especially the one of my brother, which cause the memory of the sick, twisted pleasure it had brought me to stab at my heart like a dagger. Their voices faded in and out as I fought the waves of nausea. Finally paying attention to them, I instantly wished they hadn't.

"Well, he was so eager to leave to Sound, you have to wonder why…"

"I know what you're implying, and its sick! Sasuke would never do that!" Ino's voice was shrill by now, her anger having almost reached hysteria.

"We all know it happened! Everyone in this room knows what Sasuke did with the snake!" The pain was back ten-fold, the long-faded bruises hurting, the cuts stinging. Naruto must have noticed my distress because he spoke up.

"ENOUGH." Everyone, including myself, looked at him in surprise. "What happened back in Sound is none of our business, it's between Sasuke and…that man…" He told them, obviously not willing to make himself say his name. I mentally made a note to thank Naruto when this mess got straightened out. "And we have no right to say anything about it or to judge him, since none of us know anything about his life there." He looked me deep in the eyes as he said that, and I felt a small, grateful smile tug at the corner of my lips. Ino and Lee looked angry still, but a little humiliated, enough so that they walked away from each other, arms crossed and mouths turned down sharply, but silent.

Sai, who had stood to the side like us, simply watching the fight, stepped up to the plate again. "Sasuke…ask yourself…have you ever treated Naruto like a toy that could simply be tossed aside, then played with again at your leisure?" I looked at my feet, trying to say something on Naruto's behalf, or against my own, but nothing would come out.

"Naruto, you already made your choice! You chose Sakura, and it's not fair for Sasuke to go through the last couple months suffering only to find that it was all in vain!" I could hear the anger in his voice, could tell his fake smile was back.

"Well, yeah, but-" He stuttered, his voice unsure, but before he could figure out what he was going to say, Anko cut him off.

"Kid, as much as I hate to side with the Traitor," Several angry noises could be heard, but she plunged ahead without any thought to them. "They're right. He's an awful person for doing what he did, but that's not excuse for jerking him around. You already chose to have Sakura, and you should live with your decision." She sounded surprisingly sober for the amount of alcohol I saw her consume.

"But I don't love Sakura!" He said, his voice passionate.

"That's too bad, Blondie…you should have thought about that before you let her take your best friend away…" She trailed off suddenly, and I looked up just in time to see her fall, snoring, into Kakashi, who was already supporting a very drunk Gai. It was almost enough to make me laugh, but the lingering affects of my trip down memory lane were enough to keep me calm as I looked at the people talking.

"Doesn't Sasuke get to have any say in this?" A clearly drunk and amused Tsunade said from somewhere in the crowd. In an instant, every pair of eyes in the room snapped to me.

I worked hard to keep my face blank, even as Neji said "Well..?"

* * *

_So...Cookies to __Hillarious Tragedy__ for guessing who interupted them! And to everyone, I know that there are so many worse things than moving away, but it sucks cause the one year I don't have to move, she does...Oh well, at least we still have this account...By the way, how many people know that this is an account shared by me and her..?_

_THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS/ALERTERS/FAVORITERS!! Thanks to you this is now our all-arounf most popular story! If it wasn't for you guys, I don't know what I'd do!!_

_**By the way, I'm going to keep saying this until the end of the story, but whoever can write/help me write a good summery I will be severely in debt to!!**_

_Review!_


	17. Making a decision

_Author's notes_

_Okay, seriously, writing this many chapters this quickly is tiring...and weird...and kinda sad, to be honest...I mean, the stories only going 'til chapter 20, so its getting closer to the end...Still, if it makes you guys happy, then I'm good! By the way, I'm just pointing out how much sleep I'm losing writing and posting these chapters...about eight hours just this school week! Thats alot, when you don't sleep much in the first place! Thats how much I love you all! In a non creepy stalker-ish kinda way...But its okay, since we get a long weekend this week, and some quality down time! Ahh..._

_Warning: Shohen-ai-ish stuffs, and again, not my personal favorite, but its pretty okay_

_Disclamor: I wish to own Naruto, oh how I wish...But until then all I've got are the Naruto manga and a little plastic Itachi doll...-sigh-_

_Author: Obsessive_

I swallowed deeply. "Um…" I was so grateful when Hinata came to my rescue.

"I think…I think the party's over." She said, her voice a little unsure but fairly strong. Her silver eyes looked out into the crowd.

"You all have enough alcohol to kill a few human beings and enough gossip to keep even the nosiest Gennin happy, so now would probably be a good time to go." Everyone frowned, but went to get their coats and stuff anyways. I said goodbye to each nin as they left, some more heartfelt than others, but all sincere. Finally, it was just Ino, Neji, Sai, Hinata, Lee, Naruto, and me left standing in the slightly trashed living room.

"Naruto, you better go too…" She told him.

He looked aghast. "But…but…you're talking about me!"

"Yes, and Sasuke needs to concentrate if he's gonna make the right decision." Her voice was patient, the voice of a mother talking to her two-year-old.

"Can I come back later?" He asked, his voice on the verge of being desperate. She nodded, and he gave us a small relieved smile.

Turning to me, he said "Two hours. Two hours and I'm gonna be back here." His eyes were blazing with a passion that I hadn't seen in months, and it felt so good to see the life there, like being home after a long trip. I nodded, and he looked at me for another minute before walking out of the house.

I stared after him, then looked at the people still here. On my left was Lee, and on my right were Ino and Neji. Sai and Hinata stood in the middle, in front of me. All of them looked at me expectantly.

"I don't know. I don't know if I want to be with him or not."

"Okay, lets start with the gloomy one. Why do you not want to be with him?" Ino asked.

"Well…he…makes me feel sad…and so guilty…he tossed me aside…and I'm not what he needs…" I paused to think, and they stayed quiet, thankfully, while I did so. I rubbed my nose. "I'm a murderer…he could never…be…happy…with me…" I trailed off, uncertain of where to go from there. I looked to Hinata for guidance.

"Okay, that was good, we can take a break from that question for awhile…Lee?"

"Why do you want to be with Naruto?" His usually peppy voice was serious, lost in thought, almost.

I knew the answer to that one by heart. "Because he's funny and kind…and he never gave up on me, not even after I left him…and he's protected me for years…and whenever he's around I get this funny feeling, like no matter what I've done, it doesn't matter, cause everything's gonna be fine…"

"You love him?" Sai's voice was crystal clear in the deafening stillness of the room.

I looked at my feet again and nodded. "More than you can know…being without him is like trying to live with no sleep. He's…he's everything to me…"

After a long silence, Neji spoke. "It sounds like you know what you have to do…"

"I know! But still…I mean, what's to say that he doesn't do this again next month, or next year, or even the one after that?! If you can do it once, you can do it again! I don't want to have to live with that threat constantly hanging above my head!"

"Yeah, but you also don't want to be the crazy snake man who lives on the corner, do you? The one who always has his drapes shut, who gets pranked on Halloween, and who all the parents warn their kids to stay away from? Because that's where you're heading!" I'm sure my disgust at that was clear on my face, because he smiled faintly. "I thought so."

"Its really simple, Sasuke; You have to chose between taking a risk and being with him, or staying safe and ending up 'The crazy snake man'…" Sai ended it, looking at the others to see if there were any objections. When there were none, he nodded his head and leaned against the wall behind him.

I looked at them quietly. I knew that despite their different opinions, all they wanted was for me to be happy, whichever option I chose. Closing my eyes, I sank into one of the orange chairs that Naruto insisted we needed, and I curled up as much as I could in the small space.

"Look, I want to thank you so much…you have no idea…but, this is just too much, okay? This is a lot…I mean, I'm only seventeen, really confused, and I'm tired. So, so tired…so I need a little time to think." I told them, keeping my eyes closed tightly. I could feel a headache start to form.

"If that's what you need, Sasuke, then that's what we'll do, okay? We'll let you decide on your own." Neji's voice was uncharacteristically soft, and I smiled a little.

"Thanks." The next hour and a half or so were spent in silence. Occasionally, one of them would say something in reply to something they thought of, or they would switch seats, but I stayed still, and for the most part the room was quiet.

"Sasuke? Time's running out…" Hinata's voice seemed to travel unusually slow, and it took a minute before I realized I was supposed to open my eyes. Doing so, I found I was looking out into a room of worried faces. I blinked a few times, trying to get the picture memorized. The thought that these people, good people, had willingly come to my aid and become my friends, was almost overwhelming, it felt so good.

"How much time do I have left?" My question was answered by a loud knock on the front door.

"Not much, I'm guessing." Sai's voice rang out in the still room.

* * *

_I think I need to go into cliffhanger rehab...do they even have those? Cause if they don't, they need to think about starting one...Ah, the ramblings of a sleepy teenager..._

_I would love to write more witty and charming Author's notes, but alas, I fear I will fall asleep on my keyboard, so I must take my leave...-bows-_

_Reviews make me -slightly- less insane!_


	18. Talking with no direction

_Author's notes_

_I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE CHAPTER!! Seriously, I'm not even sure that you need to read this...However, it was strategically important to do so. Why, you may ask? Because I am dead-set on having this story be 20 chapters long. I already had the 20th and 19th chapters planned out, and the way I wrote the 16th and 17th didn't give me much to work with for this one, so its mopstly filler...I'm sorry about the delay, one of my friends stayed over on Thursday night, then I went to her house on Friday, so this has been the soonist I've been able to post..._

_Warning: Not much actually...OOCness..._

_Disclamor: Trust me, the only time Sasuke would be waering an outfit like that would be in the bedroom with Naruto...If you know what I mean..._

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

I looked frantically at my friends. There was no way I could see him now; I had no idea what I decided. They were sending worried looks between the door and me. all of us stood still for a couple minutes. Finally, someone spoke.

"Kami, I don't care if you talk to him or not, but could someone PLEASE open the door!" Ino said loudly. Neji, who was the closest, hesitantly walked over and opened the door.

Naruto stood there, looking more gorgeous and sexy than anyone had a right to. His clothes were rumpled just enough to look worn, but not over-worn, the first two buttons of his shirt undone showing his tan chest. The circles under his slightly pink eyes just enhanced his baby-blues, and his hair was windblown, framing his face. The only thing about him that wasn't right was the expression on his face. He looked sad and anxious, the unhappiness he felt clearly showing.

When he saw me, though, he noticeably brightened and smiled a little. I felt a smile tug at my own lips when I saw that. Even after all these years, and everything we've been through, I still had the ability to make him happy. However, he seemed to pick up on the atmosphere in the room, because his smile faded.

"Hey…" He stood in the doorway, glancing briefly at the rest of the people in our living room before his eyes found mine. All seven of us stood in awkwardly, waiting for something to break the silence.

A particularly cold breeze blew through the window, and it seemed to snap us back to our senses. "Come in, come in!" Hinata's voice was sweet and concerned, like a mother's would be. He walked into the house without breaking eye contact with me, and Neji quickly shut the door behind him to keep anymore cold air out.

Once everyone was inside, the air grew thick again. Our friends were looking between the two of us, waiting for one of us to speak. I, however, wasn't planning on saying anything with them there; that wasn't to say that I wanted them to leave. I still wasn't sure about which path to chose, though the longer I looked at Naruto's distraught expression the farther I leaned towards one.

"Well, isn't this fun?" Sai said. I could almost feel the look Ino was giving him.

"Well, my youthful compadres, what do you say we take our leave?" Lee's overly-enthusiastic voice grated my nerves, but his words soothed them. The awkwardness in the room between Naruto and I was enhanced by the feeling of being some sort of entertainment for an audience, at least for me. Finally breaking the staring match, I got ready to say goodbye to them. The gave me a one-armed hug each, and but the girls almost tackled me with their hugs. I stumbled back a little, trying to appear suave while I got my balance back. Everyone gave Naruto the same farewell on their way towards the door.

"Bye!" They waved on their way out. As the last ones out, Neji and Sai nodded their heads at us once again and gave me a worried smile before closing the door. We both stared at the door for another second or so before turning back to each other.

I cleared my dry throat nervously. "Do…do you want anything? Water, or…?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Oh..."

"But if you want anything, then go ahead!" He hurriedly said.

"Okay." I walked into the kitchen. He followed me closely, and I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. I felt more than a little self-conscious as I pulled a simple glass cup from a cupboard over the sink. Filling it up halfway, I sipped it slowly, taking my time. I ignored the way he was looking at me, choosing instead to stare out the window at the dark sky. Occasionally I heard him sigh impatiently, but I ignored that too.

When I couldn't put it off any longer, I set the glass in the sink and looked at him, leaning against the counter opposite from him. I looked at my feet, then at the ceiling, then back at him.

"Well…? Have you decided?"

* * *

_So...pointless, right? BUT TRUST ME, DEAR READERS, NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE EXCITING!! DRAMATIC!! SHOHEN-AI FILLED!! _

_Reviews make the magic happen sooner..._


	19. Easing the pain

_Authors notes_

_Okay, so, just as a little warning thing, there will be alot of talking in this chapter...I mean alot. It might even seem a bit unnecessary...but I think that it was important to the charactors! So...thats my little thing this week..._

_Disclamor: If I owned Naruto, the show wouldn't be fit to be aired on regular television, so trust me, the wonderful, glorious day that I get ownership has not happened...yet..._

_Warning: Dialogue, Shohen-ai -YES!! FINALLY!!-_

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

"Naruto...I…I think that we maybe…need to talk some stuff out?" I said, looking at my feet.

"What do you mean?" I could hear the frown in his voice.

"I mean…I hurt you, almost killed you, left you…more than once, in fact…and when I got back, you chose Sakura over me…There…This is...Even if I did say yes, we would never be happy…With all that hanging over our heads…" I glanced up at him to see him frowning in confusion, but a hint of defeat on his face.

"I guess that makes sense…" He sighed. "So…where should we start?"

"At the beginning, I suppose."

He looked uncomfortable, and I felt a wave of pity for him. I mean, he had probably spent the better part of the last five years ignoring his pain and trying to forgive me for causing it, and here I am, trying to get him to relive it. The thought that I was causing him new, fresh pain was almost enough to make me just forget what I had said and tell him that I love him, but I knew better. If I did that, all I would be doing would be setting us both up for more misery and heartbreak further along the road. So I steadied my breathing and worked hard to keep myself on track.

When he didn't say anything, I decided to help him out. "When I first left…" I gestured for him to finish it. He sighed.

"When you first left, before the fight, I felt so angry…angry that you wanted to leave so bad, angry that you were willing to hurt your friends…no, your teammates so easily, it was just so much!" His brow was furrowed deeply, and I could see that while he was straining to keep himself composed, Naruto was really getting into it. Most likely, he had never talked to anybody about this, for fear of letting something unwanted slip.

"Whe I was fighting you, it hurt me so badly! I mean, there I was, trying to convince my _best friend_ not to run away to our _greatest enemy_! Somewhere along the way, I wasn't even fighting for that; I was fighting for my _life_! At _twelve_! And you know what? I never once blamed you! _Never_!" His voice had risen almost to the point of yelling. It hurt to hear all this, but I let him continue.

"I spent the last five years trying to bring you back! And when I wasn't doing that, I was _training_ to bring you back, or _thinking_ about bringing you back! I missed out on being a teenager because of you! I missed out on _life_ because of you!"

He took a steadying breath. "And when you finally, _finally_ came back, you didn't come for me! You didn't come back for any of us! You didn't even come willingly! Can you imagine what it was like for me? I was just sitting there, relaxed, for once, when I got a happy little ANBU popping up in my face, saying the Hokage needed me _right then_, and when I got there, she dropped that _wonderful_ little bomb on me!" Naruto's turbulent blue eyes had looked away from mine at the beginning of the speech, but suddenly snapped back to mine.

"I watched after you from the beginning. I spent all those long weeks in that damp, dark cell, watching you, hoping I would get some clue, some sign, that somewhere in your heart you felt something for me, but I got nothing! You…you…you were _everything_ I had wanted you to be, and yet you were _nothing_ I wanted you to be! Sasuke, you were with me, you were talking to me, laughing with me, but it meant nothing because it wasn't me you were happy with, it was some nameless, faceless ninja!"

"And you know what the worst part was?" He didn't wait for my answer before continuing. "Despite that, despite everything, I found I was falling in love with you all over again!" He took a few deep breaths, trying to control his anger. I could see his eyes flashing between red and blue.

Instead of speaking right away, I continued to lean against the counter silently, waiting for his okay. For a few minutes to only sound in the room was his breathing. When he finally looked back at me, his eyes were blue again, and there was something different about him. He seemed…lighter, almost. I knew in an instant that talking everything out was a good thing.

"Okay, your turn."

I nodded, then sighed, trying to figure out where to start. "Okay…um…I'm not going to go back to the beginning, because there is no excuse for what I did then, other then I was power mad, and blind to everything else. As for my years away from home…well…you already know that tale." I tried to look into his eyes, but as soon as I had said that, he looked down at the ground, almost in remorse.

"As for me coming back…I…I didn't come back because I didn't want to, or because of anything else…it was because I didn't deserve you." His head shot up, but now I didn't want to look at him, didn't want to focus on anything but the words that were tumbling out of my mouth. "I've done some bad things Naruto…horrible things, in fact. I'm dirty and used. But you…you're perfect. Nice, powerful, caring…you're just…I didn't deserve you, I _don't _deserve you! That's why I didn't come back…"

"And I'm not going to lie and say that I knew all along that it was you, 'cause I didn't, but…you know me, Naruto. I wouldn't have talked to just anybody…I knew you were special…" I closed my eyes briefly, trying to figure out how to start my next point.

"When I found out that you were in the hospital…Even after all I've done, all that's been done to me, that was the worst moment in my life." I glanced up, not a long look, but long enough to see the shock on his face. I looked back down and continued. "Waiting in that room, it was like…like nothing I've ever felt. I felt so horrible, and sick, at the thought that you might not have been okay. Seeing you again, alive and breathing, I felt like my heart was about to stop from sheer joy."

I ground my teethe together as a new memory floated to the front. "And when you chose Sakura over me, I felt so abandoned and betrayed…not the fact that you chose someone else over me, because I know that I deserved that, but the fact that you let her dictate our relationship! You could have stood up to her, you could have made her let us be friends, but instead you just laid there!"

"And to top it all off, you came back here tonight, wanting to be with me again! Without any regard as to my feelings, you just displayed your own! Do you understand how horrible that is, to have your head suddenly riddled with doubt and hope all at the same time? All this time, you've been thinking about yourself, about how you feel, and not about how would feel." I took a breath, same as he did, to calm myself.

"The worst part is, on one of those nights that I lay by your side, unmoving, in the hospital room, I figured out what that horribly confusing feeling that comes over me whenever I see you is; It's love, Naruto. I love you, I've loved you ever since we were kids and you walked by me at the docks that first time, and I've loved you every moment since."

I finally looked up at him. He was staring at me in absolute shock, his eyes wide, his mouth a perfect "o". I found his gaze, and held it as he regained control over himself. Finally, he stood up a little straighter, and opened his mouth once, then closed it.

"Oh" He said softly. "I think you were right, Sasuke. This has been…good. I guess I needed to talk about it…" He trailed off, still staring at me, before starting up again. "And I think you needed to talk about it as well."

I nodded, and was about to say something else, when I felt him move closer. Before I could react Naruto was directly in front of me, his lips pressing against mine. For a moment I was too surprised to do anything. However, when I felt his tongue slide across my lips, asking, no, _begging_ for entrance, I snapped back into reality.

I quickly opened my mouth and let his tongue invade my mouth. He pulled me closer, impossibly closer, while his tongue explored, until I was sure that we had simply melted together. He tightened his hold on my waist and I realized that somewhere along the way my legs had all but given out, and that he was supporting me. That fact became insignificant as his tongue swept across mine, encouraging me to play as well. I dug my hand deep into his blonde locks, trying to pull him closer to me, though I could feel that there wasn't any room between us left.

When the need for air became too great, Naruto pulled away, but not far. I could still feel his lips on mine when he whispered my name. I slowly blinked my eyes open, and found I was staring into his. They were so blue, lighter than I had ever seen them, and they shone with happiness. I felt a smile form on his lips and knew that I was mirroring him. We stayed like that for a long while, simply holding each other, our breathes mingling, trying to find something to say, but not wanting to take the magic of the moment away.

Finally, the silence got too great, and I spoke. "So…"

"You know, you're a damn good kisser." He said, pulling back just enough to show me his blinding smile.

"Shut up." I replied, but there was no anger in my words, and I knew that my own smile was probably as big as his.

He was about to say something else, but then he looked over my shoulder and stopped. I was about to question it, but before I could he spoke. "Look Sasuke."

I untangled my hands and turned around, noticing that he didn't let go off me, he simply moved his hands a bit. That's when I saw it. Outside, there was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen happening. All of the colors of the rainbow were there, mixed together and fading in and out of one-another like one of Sai's paintings. I turned my head and saw Naruto looking down at me, a blissful look like never before on his face. I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, because I knew that, for once, everything was going to turn out alright.

* * *

_So...That was my third kissing scene! So if it sucked, thats why! _

_**IMPORTANT: As you can probably tell, this will be the last real chapter! I know, I know, its horrible, and I feel so misserably sad about seeing the end of my "baby"! However, I absolutely love happy endings, so...**_

_**But fear not! There will be an epilogue! Why? I...don't know actually...I guess I just really don't want the story to end...I do need your help though! Not for the epilogue, but for my next project. I'm going to ask again next chapter, but I thought I'd put it out there now...**_

_**Would you rather I create a multi-chaptered sequal to this, or a totally new chapter fic?** _

_If you have any opinions about that, I would love the input, because I'd like to start writing as soon as I can! _

_So...Reviews make me the happiest girl on Fanfiction!_


	20. Epilogue: Happy endings

_Author's notes_

_It's done! I never thought it would be over, but it is! I have been writing this story for over six months, and it's finally finished! I t makes me so sad, but also really happy! I'm pretty proud of this story...I mean, I don't think it's amazing or anything, but I do really like it! So, here we go..._

_Disclamor: If I owned Naruto, something very similer to this would be going on right about now..._

_Warning: Slight humor, weirdness, SHOHEN-AI!! Sexual stuffs! Like, I'm actually wondering if this can still be a T...I think it can, but if you think it can't please tell me..._

_Author: Obsessive_

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" As he said that, I could just imagine him walking in the front door, a huge smile on his face. Hearing his footsteps coming towards our bedroom, I set my book on the ground.

"Hey…" He said, leaning against the doorway. It seemed to be his favorite thing to do now; ever since my birthday, he would just stand in doorways, watching me silently.

"Hey." I replied, giving him a small smile.

He returned the gesture, then crossed the small distance between the door and the bed. He lay down next to me, mimicking me. I turned from my stomach to my side so I could see him better. After a few seconds he did the same. For a couple minutes we were silent, content with simply being with each other.

Naruto was the first to move. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he raised his arm and moved it towards me. Once he reached me, he began to lightly run his fingers over my face, tracing my features. I closed my eyes and sighed with pleasure. It was times like these that I really understood how lucky I am. Here I was, a traitor who had spent most of my life alone and angry, yet somehow I ended up with the sweetest, best-looking guy I had ever met.

He ran his fingers over my eyelids one at a time, taking his time. Slowly, he let his hands move to my bangs, and he ran his fingers through them, careful not to pull my hair too hard. I slowly opened my eyes. His baby blue eyes were sparkling with an almost hidden emotion.

"So…we still up for tonight?" I smiled and nodded. A smile finally burst forward, showing his teeth, as soon as I was done. Getting up, he walked to the door hesitantly. He stopped in the doorway.

Without turning, he spoke again. "You're going to Hinata's from when to when?"

"I'm leaving in a few minutes, and I'll be getting back at around eight."

"Perfect. I'll see you tonight then." He walked out the door, and I stayed as still as I could so I could hear him walk out. When I heard the front door close, I jumped out of bed quickly, and started rummaging through out closet, trying to find some clean clothes. Finding some, I pulled them on, then grabbed my keys. I locked the door on my way out, then began making my way towards Hinata's place on the Hyuuga Estate.

When I got there, the guards let me in with no protest, although one of them sent a glare my way. By this time, they were all used to seeing me, since I had been coming over ever since I was allowed to leave the house alone three months ago. However, a few of them, the die-hard Konoha loyalists, still thought of me as a murderous traitor, and wanted to treat me as such.

I wasn't more than three feet from the gate when I was attacked by two blurs, one yellow and purple, the other brown and purple. I staggered, nearly falling over from the shear force of the impact, but was able to catch myself at the last moment. A third person jogged over to us, giggling quietly.

"SASUKE!!" The girls hugging me squealed loudly as their arms tightened around my torso.

"Hi." I managed to gasp out with the little air I had left in my lungs.

"Girls, remember, today isn't a good day to kill him…You can do that tomorrow…" Their arms loosened, but they sent her a questioning look that I didn't miss. She smiled, then added something. "Well, probably not tomorrow…maybe in a few days." They began giggling again, and I sighed deeply. I mean, I knew that they wanted us to be together, but I didn't know it was to feed their yaoi desires. Everything was sexual with them, even perfectly innocent remarks.

When the giggling had died down, I began talking. "That's a fabulous comment, Hinata. Kudos for that…And trust me, they'll be plenty of time to make comments like that that embarrass me later, but right now I have a few hours to kill, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go talk to Neji."

Ino and Hanabi gave me one last squeeze, then let go and took a step back. They smiled at me as Hinata replied. "Sure, just be back by seven, okay?" I nodded, then took off to Neji's room.

At first Naruto had been jealous with all the time I spent over here, with Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji, but after I reminded him about the long, sometimes weeks or months long, missions with Sai and Sakura, plus others, he let me go without any protest, though I could tell he was still a bit iffy about it. However, one of the things I loved about Naruto was how he was willing to put aside his own feelings to make me happy.

I only had to knock once for the door to be opened, and Neji stood smiling at the other side. "Sasuke." He greeted me with his usual formality, but as soon as I stepped inside and closed the door, he gave me a hug. Early on he had told me about how much appearances mattered in the Hyuuga family, so I played along every time they went formal to keep things running smoothly. Letting go, we seated ourselves, him on his bed, me on his chair.

"Getting one last feel of chairs before the long weekend?" He asked me innocently, a twinkle in his eyes.

I glared lightly, and he smiled. "Hardy har har. You and your sisters have such perverted minds." I paused. "And Sai and Ino. They're perverts too." His smile widened.

"I can vouch for those last two."

I coughed, gagging slightly. Closing my eyes, I said "Oh, Kami, thanks for the unneeded mental pictures." I shook my head, trying to clear my mind.

"What? A guy can't have a sex life?"

"Okay, it's fine that you have one, but can you please keep it to yourself? Please?" I looked up at him pleadingly.

His smile widened until I was sure his face would split. "Can't make any promises, Sasuke, but I'll try."

"Thank you…I guess..." We drifted off into silence, but it wasn't awkward, not even close. With the two of us, silences were almost never awkward, since we were both naturally quiet by nature. I never knew where his thoughts went during these times, but my thoughts, naturally, drifted to my blonde-haired lover. I imagined his smile, the way he smelled, how it felt being wrapped up in our blankets with him…

I must have drifted off, because the next thing I knew, Neji was gently shaking my shoulder. "Sasuke, its seven…Wake up!" I groggily opened my eyes, blinking until the blurriness went away. I stood up slowly, gradually waking myself up. Walking to the door, I gave him a hug goodbye.

"I'll see you later, Neji."

"Good luck…I hear Naruto's got a monsters libido!" He patted my shoulder sympathetically. I sent one last glare his way, then made my way to Hinata's cottage. She had finally gotten up the nerve to ask for her own place, away from the main house, and with a little help from Hanabi and Neji, she had gotten one, and it was perfect for her.

Before I could knock, the door was flung open, and a black gloved hand and a bare one reached out and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me inside and slamming the door shut quickly. I was gently thrust into a chair, where another pair of arms gripped my forearms, not hard, but with enough pressure to keep me still.

I looked up at my captors. "You know, this wasn't really necessary…"

"We know, but it was so much fun!" Hanabi chirped happily.

"Plus, I've got a feeling it might be a good idea to restrain you, with what we have in store…" She grinned evilly down at me, and I felt a small, involuntary shudder of fear race through me at her words.

Forty five minutes later, I was blushing like mad, having just been put through a new kind of hell, one I hadn't experienced before; getting dressed by my friends. They stood me up, and led me to the full-length mirror in her bathroom. This was the second time that night I had seen myself. The first time I had to nix the outfit, because no matter how cute it may have been, that was the problem: It was cute, not sexy or hot. Cute as in, I looked like a girl. After I was through yelling at them for their sick sense of fashion, they agreed to dress me differently.

Currently, I was wearing a pair of skin-tight black faux-leather pants, tucked into a pair of knee-high combat boots, black and gray. Shirt wise, I was wearing a pretty simple black long-sleeved button-up, which Hinata had rolled up to my elbows loosely. To top it off, I was wearing a black chocker, the only piece of their jewelry I was okay wearing. Ino had tried to fix my hair, make it more bed-headed or something, but the stubborn spikes refused to back down. Finally, she had settled with fixing the part around my face so it accented my features the best.

Looking in the mirror, even I had to admit that I looked sexy, pretty even. The outfit, and the other one, were birthday presents from Sai, Hinata, Hanabi, and Ino. They all stood back, then one by one they moved forward to stand on all sides of me, wrapping their arms around me. In that moment I felt a profound respect and love for these people, who had stood by me through thick and thin, all these months.

"Thank you." I said quietly. The Hyuuga girls smiled, and I could see the tears forming in Hinata's eyes and Hanabi's. Ino gave my shoulder a light kiss, and Sai squeezed me a little tighter and spoke.

"Wow, the all-powerful Sasuke giving thanks…I never thought I'd see the day…" He smiled a bit. I let myself smile too as we continued to stare at our reflection.

I saw Hinata's eyes dart to the clock on her wall, then the look on her face was slightly panicked. "Sasuke, it's seven fifty-seven! You need to go!" I jerked, slightly startled, and started racing around, trying to get all the clothes.

"Oh, never mind that, Sasuke! We'll drop them off sometime in the next few days! Go, go, go!" Ino almost-shouted at me. I nodded quickly, and went towards the door.

"Bye!" I called on my way out. When I raced by the house, I heard Neji shout from what I knew to be the kitchen window.

"If you run, you'll get messy!" I instantly slowed considerably, to only a fast walk, and heard him shout something else. "Don't do anything Sai and Ino wouldn't do!" I suppressed a shudder and continued to find my way out of the estate. Hurrying up slightly, I continued at a set pace to our little house on the edge of town, trying hard not to mess up my outfit or hair anymore than I already had.

When I got there, I noticed all the curtains were drawn. I furrowed my brow a little. Naruto hated when the shades were closed; he would go around the house, opening them, because he absolutely hated being closed in. I opened the gate and shut it behind me, walked almost cautiously up the walk to the house.

Knocking on the door softly, it was opened almost immediately. However, instead of a curt greeting or strong arms, I was greeted with a warm smile. Naruto stepped aside to let me in, but before I could get a good look at him or the house, his warm hands went over my eyes, darkening my vision completely.

"This way…" Naruto nudged me, and we began moving forward, him guiding me towards our destination. "Here we go…" He removed his hands and I gasped.

Our house had been turned into a romantic paradise. Flameless candles were everywhere, dozens, at least, illuminating our house wonderfully and filling it with a golden glow. They also set off the deep red curtains, which were romantic in every way. I looked into the kitchen, where the table was, and let a smile grace my features. There, on the deep red tablecloth, were two candles and two plates, with chicken and tomatoes, my favorite meal. Next to each of the plates was a glass of white wine, another favorite of mine.

I turned to look at him and noticed him staring at my ass. I coughed lightly, and he looked up, with an almost concealed look of lust in his eyes, which was quickly covered up by another emotion, love. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, putting his hand on the small of my back and gently pushing me into my chair. He sat down across from me and put his napkin in his lap.

"Tuck in." He said, picking up his fork and taking a bite. I followed his lead, and for awhile we ate in silence, each of us looking at each other. When I was finished, I gently wiped my mouth and set my napkin down next to my plate. He continued for another couple of minutes, then he to stopped.

Picking up my wine glass, I said "That was amazing, Naruto. Thank you." I took a small sip.

He smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke. I'm glad you liked it so much." He looked at me over the rim of his wineglass. He took a sip, then continued. "Happy birthday, Sasuke."

"Happy birthday to you too." I closed my eyes briefly when I realized how idiotic that sounded. He chuckled, though, and that made me feel a bit less stupid and a little more humorous. I let the absence of noise drift over us for awhile, before I broke it.

"I can't believe you did all of this for me…It's amazing!"

"It's only what you deserve, Sasuke." He looked at me with his gorgeous eyes and I blushed. "So, where did you get your outfit?"

"Oh, um, it was a birthday present from the girls and Sai."

"That explains it. It's quite…sexy…"

I blushed again, looking down at it. "I guess it is…"

"Are you done?" He asked. When I nodded, he walked over to me and pulled me up. Turning me towards him, he gave me a quick peck on the lips, then pulled back just enough so that he could stair into my eyes.

"I love you, Sasuke."

"I love you, Naruto." I replied, before leaning up and capturing his lips in another kiss. He instantly responded, and wasted no time in trying to gain entry. For a few seconds I let my lips stay firmly shut, playing with him. Then he gave my butt a light squeeze, and when I opened my mouth to squeak, he plunged in, taking full advantage of the offer.

I moaned as he explored my mouth. His tongue rubbed against mine, encouraging me to play. I responded quickly, enjoying all the little noises I was getting out of him. His hands were wrapped tightly around my waist, and my arms were circled so tightly around his neck I wasn't sure how he could still be breathing.

Suddenly, he tucked one of his arms under my leg and literally swept me off my feet. I gasped involuntarily at this, and tried to pull back to say something, but he wouldn't let me. His lips attacked me, kissing me like there was no tomorrow. Slowly, we made our way towards the bedroom, our lips separating briefly every now and then to get air. When we got to the room, he leaned against the door to open it, and once we were inside he pushed it closed. Walking over to the bed, he lay me down on it without breaking our kiss. We remained like that for several minutes, until he slowly ended the kiss.

"I love you." He said. Before I could respond, I felt his hands working to undo my shirt. When he had it all undone, I lifted myself up so that he could push the shirt off my shoulders and gently pulling it off of me. I ran my hands up his chest, hooking my thumbs under the edge of it and pulling it up. We broke apart briefly to get it off, then resumed with all the passion we had before.

When I opened my eyes slightly, I could see the unrestrained lust shining in his eyes, and it made me feel amazing. I was so lost up in the sensations that I almost didn't notice when he started to pull my pants down. I had about a second to ponder when he had gotten my boots off before he grasped my hard on.

My eyes rolled back into my head at the shear, sudden pleasure that was crashing over me. Slowly, he moved his hands up and down, torturing me. I broke off our kiss, burying my face in his sun-kissed neck, placing wet, sloppy kisses all over it. His hands began to move faster and faster, and I could feel the tightening in my stomach.

Finally, it all became too much, and I came hard, crying out "I love you, I love you, oh Kami I love you" over and over again. Panting, I lay still, coming down from my orgasmic high. I felt his warm body pull away from me slightly, and I slowly opened my eyes to look at him questioningly.

He was staring at me with the oddest expression I had ever seen. I panicked, thinking that maybe, what we had just done, that maybe he was disgusted with me. He seemed to pick up on this, because he raised his hand-the one that hadn't been pleasuring me-and gently stroked my face.

"You…are so…beautiful…" He said softly. Leaning down, he kissed me again, slowly at first, but gradually becoming more passionate. By the time we pulled away, the lust had returned in his eyes. Smirking, he began kissing his way down before reaching his goal. As he set his sights and making me cum again, I gasped.

Life was good.

* * *

_Dudes, that was the single longest piece of writing I have ever written...and it was all for you, my loyal fans! WITHOUT YOU I AM NOTHING! And about the limey stuff...um...if it sucked, there is a very good emplanation for it: I have never written something like that before! Whoo! So it's my first one! _

_**Okay, so, in regards to sequals, I would be amazingly happy to write one...However, I would need an idea, which at the moment, I do not have...Well, I do have an idea, but I'm going to use it for a different story, for a going away present for Compulsive, since she requested it, and since she's my bestie and all that...**_

_**SO, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE IDEAS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I WOULD BE FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT!**_

_Well, I guess this is goodbye...I never thought I'd be so sad to see the end..._

_Reviews make me feel better!_


	21. Authors note about a sequal

_Authors note_

_Okay, guys, its me again...I know, I know, I just couldn't leave this story alone...But theres a good reason, I swear!_

_So, I have a semi-good idea for a sequal to Captive, and its all planned out, plus more than enough material to make a third installment of the story -YAY!- Buuut...theres an issue...of course..._

_**Do any of you even want a second or third sequal to this? Seriously? Cause I wont write it if you guys don't...**_

_**And the second is: I am in need of some help for a title, so if anyone would be interested in helping, just leave me a note in a review or something...**_

_Well, thats it I guess...I hope you people want the sequals, because I've missed my reviewers!_


	22. FINALLY A SEQUAL

_I finally did it! I finished the NEVER ENDING first chapter of the sequal!! And when I say never ending, I mean I've been working on that thing since my last authors note, and I just finished it yesterday. Yeah. And I also wrote the second chapter! WHOO!! So now I coma-I mean, ask nicely that you pretty please with a Sasuke plushie on top go read/review/fav/alert it...It's called BOUND. Yeah. _

_And this is a specific thing for **Miserygirl**: I'm making another chapter story, so be on the lookout, okay?_


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